ZODIAC RIDER RYUUKI 2: Deja Vu all Over Again
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: The War is over, but a new battle has started as the disappearances plague the City of Jump. Memories must be reawaken to combat against the new threat. Heroes from another timeline return to face their pasts and their futures. Let's Ride!
1. SHARD 1: Fragmented Memories

SHARD 1: Fragmented Memories

A woman was leaving for home, going into an underground parking lot to get to her car. As she was reaching for her keys, something appeared in the reflection of her car's window. A strange ringing sound was heard but she didn't seem to hear it. Suddenly, a pair of arms shot out of the window of the van behind her and grabbed her. She screamed as she was being dragged into a large glass covered poster that was mounted against the wall. However, a motorbike suddenly shot out of the reflection on the glass, the back wheel hitting the Gelnewt and forcing the monster to release the woman.

The motorbike landed and skidded to a halt as the rider turned to face the monster. The mysterious armored rider wore a dark bodysuit with black gauntlets and boots. Black torso armor crested by a bat on the chest was worn over the bodysuit. He wore a black helmet with a fanged faceplate and a visor with vertical slits and the points at the top edges that looked like bat ears. Attached to his left hip was a holster with a sword with a bat-like crossguard.

His name was Zodiac Rider Shadow.

He heard a ringing sound and three more Gelnewts jumped out of the glass like it was made of water. The Rider revved up his engine and dashed towards the monsters, ducking under their strikes. When they attacked again, he kicked and punched at them, sending them staggering. He then balanced his bike on his front wheel and spun the vehicle around, striking the Gelnewts with the back wheel, knocking them down.

He then dismounted from his bike and drew his sword. The Gelnewts took the huge shurikens mounted on their backs and charged at the fighter. One swung at him but its attack was parried by the sword. He kicked the Gelnewt in the stomach, sending it staggering. The rest of the Gelnewts attacked and tried to overpower the fighter, only for the fighter to parry their attacks with ease. When they jumped him, he vanished into the shadow under his feet, causing them to pile onto each other. The fighter then jumped out of another shadow and pulled the back of his sword to open the guard, revealing a chamber. He then reached down to his belt, which held a rectangular gold bat crested black case in the centre. He drew a card which depicted a lance on the face. He put the card into the chamber and closed it.

"_Sword Vent!_" the sword called out and he sheathed his sword. A screech was heard and a giant mechanical bat flew out of a nearby reflection, knocking the Gelnewts down and dropping the lance into the fighter's hand. He then charged at the Gelnewts that were rising to their feet, thrusting his lance at them. Though they had numbers on their sides, they could do nothing against the bat-armored fighter. He continued to rain blows on them, putting them into a daze. Once he was satisfied, he decided to finish it. He opened the guard of his sword and drew a card that depicted the crest on his belt buckle and activated it with his sword.

"_Final Vent!_"

He rushed at them and jumped, the bat attaching to his back to become a cloak that wrapped around his body. The cloak spun into a drill as he dove down on the Gelnewts, destroying them simultaneously with a single explosive blow.

The fighter walked out of the circle of flames, satisfied that the woman was safe. He then mounted his bike and drove out of the parking lot. Out in the streets, a vertical ring of energy surrounded him and split apart to strip him of his armor as he sped away.

* * *

People in Jump City have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. They just vanished without a trace and didn't seem to have a connection with one another. It didn't matter what race, age or gender they were, they still disappeared. The Titans were assisting the police but so far hadn't gotten any clues. This was a mystery, but a mystery Robin was going to crack.

Robin was staying up late at his computer, reading up on all the recent disappearances. He rubbed his temples. "What is their connection? There has to be something in here."

If the case itself wasn't weird enough, it was giving Robin a sense of déjà vu. It was like he had seen a case like this before, but he knew that wasn't true. Inspecting the last scene had only made that feeling grow. Beast Boy suggested aliens abducting people, which Robin subtly reminded the changeling that one off their members was an alien too. Of course, Starfire knew what he meant and didn't take offense. There were lots of alien species whom would abduct humans after all. Still, Robin felt like he could have predicted that comment word for word. It was all giving him a headache.

* * *

In a small apartment, three young men were seated in the living room. The oldest was listening to music on his MP3 player, tapping his knee with his finger. He had spiked up brown hair and was wearing a green t-shirt with blue jeans. Sitting next to him on the couch was a red haired young man with his hair in a braid and wearing a red sleeveless Chinese shirt with black slacks. He was playing a handheld videogame. The third young man had pale skin, wore glasses, and had chin length black hair. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black slacks. He was reading a book.

They were young college students from Japan who came to spend their summer vacation in Jump City. They didn't rent a hotel room but instead rented an apartment. They'd been in Jump City for nearly a week. On their first day they saw the Teen Titans in action.

Takada checked his watch and removed his earphones. "Guys, I gotta go."

"Going to visit that woman again in that club?" Desmond commented.

"Hey, being an exotic dancer is honest work. So she takes her clothes off in front of other men. It's not illegal," Takada retorted.

"Just immoral," scoffed Desmond.

"At least I'm making an effort to get close to the woman I love," said Takada. "What have you two been doing?" Ryo and Desmond frowned. "I thought so. You're scared."

"It's not easy," Desmond said. "We remember, but they don't."

"That's right, and I don't want to put her through the pain of my death again," said Ryo.

"Oh, please…" Takada rolled his eyes. "We're not going to die this time!"

"How can you be sure?" Desmond questioned.

Takada didn't answer. He stuck his tongue out at the dark-clad young man and went out the door after taking his motorbike keys.

"Why does he even bother?" Desmond asked.

"Maybe he's got the right idea," said Ryo.

"What idea?"

"Reconnecting with the girls," Ryo clarified. "Admit it, you miss Raven, and I miss Jinx too."

"We have a mission," Desmond countered. "Remember that and focus."

"I do remember," Ryo stated firmly. "I just wished I wasn't jammed with all these memories."

"If we didn't have these memories we wouldn't be able to do our job," argued Desmond.

"And how well are we doing anyway?" Ryo countered. "There's only three of us in this city and there are a lot of places Mirror Monsters can pop out from. People are still disappearing whether we're here or not. Admit it. We need the Titans."

"All we need are more Riders, and Yui is looking for the others," Desmond assured his comrade. "If you hadn't broken up with Miho…"

"It was a mutual decision," Ryo interrupted. "We parted on good terms."

"But it will be awkward to work together, will it not?" questioned Desmond.

Ryo dropped his game and said, "That's it. I can't talk to you. You're just stressing me out!" He got up and went for the door. "I'm going out to grab a burger or something. You want anything?"

"No."

Ryo shrugged and went out the door.

"Sentimental and idealistic fool," murmured Desmond.

* * *

Ryo sat at a diner, waiting for his order. Coming to Jump City had just been an impulsive idea by him for a vacation, and yet it all suddenly went downhill when Yui came to them. One by one she'd approached them and reawakened their memories. For Ryo, it made him remember all that had occurred in the Rider War, including his death.

* * *

"_Take this, Ryo," said Yui as she presented him with his Advent Deck. It was black and with a gold dragon crest in the middle with the Gemini symbol in the corners. When he held it in his hand, it flashed red, and he was bombarded by a rush of images that knocked him down. "Do you remember?"_

"_Yes…" Ryo answered. "Yui, I'm so sorry."_

"_It's alright," Yui said calmly. "I may be dead in the real world but I'm alive with my brother. I'm content. However, things are not safe. Someone has taken control of the Mirror World and the Mirror Monsters and using them to capture humans. You and the other Riders must stop him."_

"_I'll do my best, Yui. I won't fail."_

* * *

Ryo took out his Advent Deck and gazed at the crest. "It was like it didn't happen, but it did, and now I have these memories." He rubbed his temples. "Oh…god…" His order came and as he was about to take a bite out of his burger, the bell at the door rang. He looked up out of curiosity and gawked as he saw Jinx enter the diner with Cyborg. "This just gets better and better."

He watched as the two Titans sat at the counter and ordered some pie. As much as he wanted to go and talk to Jinx, he couldn't. Desmond was right. They had a mission, but it still didn't make it hurt any less.

* * *

Jinx and Cyborg left the diner. "That was some good pie, huh?"

"Yeah," Jinx agreed, "But now we have to go on patrol. That Robin really knows how to work us, huh?"

"He's leader," Cyborg stated, "Plus this is serious. Innocent people are disappearing and he doesn't know how. It really bugs him."

"He's obsessed with uncovering the truth," Jinx snorted.

"And that's how he finds his answers. Look who his mentor was," said Cyborg.

Jinx laughed. As the two walked past a window, a figure stood watching them from the reflection.

* * *

Ryo was finishing his meal when he heard the ringing. Frowning, he slapped the money down on the table before running out of the diner. He followed the ringing.

* * *

Cyborg yelled out as a pair of claws grabbed Jinx and dragged her into the window. Cyborg's hands went over the window. "Jinx! Jinx!" He then looked to his right to see Ryo reach into his back pocket thrusting the Dragon Advent Deck out in front of him. Red energy ran down his arm and to his waist, forming the V-Buckle. On the belt was fully formed, he slid the Advent Deck into the hollow centre, locking it into place.

"Henshin!" Ryo called out and the belt activated. The deck spun and flashed red, releasing energy. A waist high ring of crimson energy formed and split in two with a sphere of red energy around him Cyborg stared as the rings folded over the redhead, sweeping over him and donning him in the suit of armor. The rings and sphere vanished, revealing Ryo in a red bodysuit. His gauntlets and boots were black and mounted on his left forearm was a device shaped like a dragon's head. His chestplate was silver and he wore a black helmet with a dragon crest on top. The helmet had round red eyes, obscured by the grilled visor and faceplate.

He was now Zodiac Rider Ryuuki.

He looked to the stunned Cyborg before he jumped into the glass surface which rippled like water, phasing through with ease.

Once in the crystal room, he got in his Ride Shooter. The vehicle then shot forward in the portal, towards the target Mirror Monster.

Meanwhile, Jinx managed to break herself out of the Solospider's grip. The Solospider was a green armored humanoid spider monster with blade like arms and spider-leg like extensions from its back. It hissed at Jinx and lunged at her. As she prepared to hit it with a hex, a pod-like cycle smashed into the Solospider and knocked it away.

Jinx watched as the vehicle stopped and opened up to reveal a man in a red bodysuit and black and silver armor. He glanced at Jinx before focusing his attention on the Solospider as it pushed itself back to its feet. He dashed towards it, ducking under a stream of webbing and jumped forward, landing a punch in its chest. He then followed up with a forward kick and then a back kick that knocked it down. He pushed down a section of his Visor to reveal the chamber and drew a card. He slotted the card in and closed the Visor.

"_Sword Vent!"_

Jinx heard a roar and looked up to see a red mechanical dragon. Something dropped from it and it was revealed to be a Chinese broadsword. It landed in the armored warrior's hand and he charged at the Solospider. The monster swung its bladed arm at the warrior who parried with his blade, causing sparks to rain down at their feet. They continued to trade blows, sparks exploding from the connecting weapons. The red warrior saw an opening and slashed the monster across the chest, eliciting a shriek of pain. He then kneed it in the gut to knock it backwards before swinging his leg out to send it reeling and knocking it down onto its back.

Ryo then opened up his Visor and drew a card that depicted his crest. He put it in and closed it. The eyes flashed as the Visor spoke, activating the card, _"Final Vent!"_

The dragon appeared again and roared as it circled around its master. The warrior went into a martial arts stance and then leaped high into the air, following by the dragon. He performed an impressive flip and went into a flying kick position with the dragon behind him. With a roar the dragon breathed out a burst of flames that catapulted its master at the recovering Solospider. The spider monster froze as it saw the warrior rocketing towards it and when the flaming kick collided, the monster was sent flying backwards as it exploded in a blaze. An orb of energy rose from its remains but was captured and devoured by the dragon.

He went over to Jinx and asked, "Are you okay?" She gave a nod, silenced and awed by what she'd witnessed. "Come on, time to get you our of here."

When she found her voice, she asked, "Who are you?"

"A friend," he answered. They both stood in front of the window. "We'll see each other again." He then pushed her against the glass which rippled and she went through.

Jinx exited from the other side and an excited Cyborg grabbed her shoulders. "Jinx, you're okay! What happened?"

Jinx answered, still a little freaked from what had happened, and looked back at her reflection. She answered, "Cy, I think I know what happened to all those people."

* * *

Ryo walked out of the mirror hung on the wall in the apartment and looked to see Desmond still reading. "You made contact?" Desmond asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ryo answered before walking into his room.

Desmond just shook his head.

* * *

"Monsters in mirrors?" Robin summarized skeptically after listening to Jinx's explanation.

"That's right!" Jinx nodded. "It grabbed me and took me into some sort of…Mirror World!"

"I saw her get pulled in!" Cyborg backed Jinx up.

"And then this guy in armor fought the monster and saved you," concluded Robin.

Jinx nodded.

"I saw him go in after her. He just transformed into a suit of armor and went in through the window!" Cyborg added.

Robin looked thoughtful. "I think this armored guy has something to do with the disappearances. We better keep a lookout for him."

* * *

Ryo sat in his room, eyes closed as he laid in bed. He was mentally going through his memories. He had two sets of memories and they were all being mixed up. One set of memories took place in this timeline and the second set of memories took place in a past timeline which had been erased following Yui and Shiro Kenzaki resetting time to when the Riders and Mirror World did not exist.

And those memories held the good times shared between him and Jinx. "She's still as cute as ever," mused Ryo aloud. "I wonder what she thinks of me now? I did save her again." He sat up and stared at his mirror. Dragredder saw staring back at him. "So, should I ask her out when I see her again?"

* * *

"You know, you always ask for me. I wonder why?" Blackfire asked as she traced circles on Takada's chest.

"What can I say? You're my favorite girl," said Takada, hands on her hips.

"Just for that, you get a free lap dance. Hope you can handle it," she purred, looking him eye to eye.

"Oh, I can handle it!" Takada grinned. "Lay it on me, Blackfire!"

"Get ready for a wild ride, handsome!"

* * *

Robin frowned as he and the other Titans investigated another missing person, this time inside a gym. People reported several people going into the sauna, but never coming back out. With the wave of disappearances across the city and the numerous super villains which tended to sprout up, the police were called immediately. When the police were called, the Titans likewise began investigating. At the moment, Robin was looking for a clue in the sauna itself. Evidence showed people were there, but not how they managed to vanish.

"Anything Cyborg?" Robin asked as his cybernetic friend walked up to the sauna. His skills letting him know when the tech genius was coming.

"Nothing man," Cyborg sighed, leaning on a door frame. "Security cams caught them going in, but they didn't come out. Before you ask, I put those systems through every detection scan I could think of and a few I discovered along the way. Whatever took them, it did it from inside."

"But how? There's no mirrors in here dude," said Beast Boy, poking at a bucket of water which could be used to get the steam in the sauna going. "Did they make one in here or something?"

"That's not a half bad guess," Rabin sighed. "Considering the kinds of things we've faced, nothings impossible, it just hasn't been done yet."

"Ah man," Cyborg groaned.

* * *

"Hmmm, I'm not picking up anything," Jinx frowned as she tried to use what mystical senses she had to try and pick up anything unusual. "What about you Raven?"

"Nothing," the stoic girl answered, closing her eyes to concentrate.

"Oh, friends, this is most unfortunate," Starfire frowned sadly. "More and more of our people are being swept away by this…this…invisible kidnapper! Here must be something we can do!"

"Not unless we catch them in the act," Raven frowned. "And it seems like these guys choose carefully."

"The only lead we do have is that armored guy who saved me," Jinx sighed, glancing at the mirrors in the gym which some of the patrons used for whatever reason. She wondered what it would take to find the guy again if only to ask him a few questions about what was going on.

BOOM!

"What the-?" Jinx cried as she felt a rumble beneath her feet.

"It came from downstairs!" Raven called as she began hovering towards the door.

"Glorious! We will capture the perpetrator!" Starfire smiled as her eyes began to glow green.

Jinx quickly dashed to follow, not noticing three figures inside the reflective mirror fighting through the gym and destroying the equipment on their side of the looking glass.

* * *

The three Riders had originally come to the gym for a little workout when they heard the attack warning (ringing). As soon as they did, they knew something was up and immediately went for the Mirror World. However, Ryo had detected another monster in the boiler room under the gym and had used a separate portal to go after it, finding the Sonorabuma.

Shadow had noticed the Titans and had frozen for a second when he saw Raven. However, he had a mission to think about. He could not let himself get distracted. Still, he also wished he could speak with her again.

The Shielderboarder was a humanoid monster decked in thick blue armor with tusks on its face and crowned by spikes. It was armed with a huge shield which resembled a wild boar's face. It used the shield to knock Shadow down and deflect Zoldat's bullets.

"Where's Ryo!" Zoldat shouted.

"He had to deal with ANOTHER monster!" Shadow answered as he slotted a card into his sword.

"_Sword Vent!_"

Darkwing swooped in and dropped the Wing Lancer into its master's hands. Shadow then charged and attacked the Shieldboarder, his lance causing sparks to rip off the monster's shield as he swung and thrust.

* * *

The Sonorabuma was a cicada-type humanoid Mirror Monster and right now Ryuuki was battling with it in an underground boiler room. The monster smashed the Rider against one of the pipes and then swung. Ryuuki ducked and lashed out with his foot, hitting the monster in the gut and sending it staggering. He got up and cracked his knuckles before charging, bashing the Sonorabuma left and right with his fists. He then landed another sidekick into its chest, sending it crashing into a furnace.

Conveniently, there was a single mirror mounted on the wall. He grabbed the monster and then ran with it through the mirror.

Ryuuki and the Sonorabuma ended up tumbling out and entering the battle Shadow and Zoldat were in. He then tossed the Sonorabuma in the direction of the Shieldboarder, knocking them both to the ground.

"About time you got here," said Zoldat.

"I was busy," Ryuuki frowned.

"Focus, people," Shadow said. He drew a card and slotted it into his Dark-Visor.

"_Final Vent!"_

Ryuuki and Zoldat did the same, drawing their cards, and putting them into their respective Visors.

Magnu-Visor: "_Shoot Vent!_"

Drag-Visor: "_Strike Vent!_"

The Drag Claw armed itself to Ryuuki while the Giga Launcher dropped into Zoldat's hands.

"We're ready!" the red and green Riders aimed their weapons at the two monsters.

Shadow leapt into the air, Darkwing attaching to his back. He then dropped down, the cape wrapping around him and spinning into a drill.

Zoldat took aim and fired a shell at the two monsters just as Ryuuki, with the aid of Dragredder, launched a blast of flames at them.

The three attacks collided with the two monsters and sent them to oblivion. Two orbs of energy rose into the air and were eaten up by Dragredder and Darkwing.

"I'll get the next one," said Zoldat.

"Come on," said Shadow. "We're done here."

"Hai," Ryuuki nodded.

* * *

The gym investigation turned out to be a bust. The end results were not only was there more people missing, but the boiler room looked like a brawl went on. The Titans had no clue what had happened or how someone with the ability to blow up a boiler could do so and not be noticed. Of course, Robin theorized that the boiler might have gone up on its own if the owner of the gym hadn't given evidence that the item was brand new and properly maintained.

The Titans' stress levels were rising with this case, and that was without the regular crime going on.

* * *

Wayne Enterprises was usually the kind of place that only a moron or a damn good professional would attempt to break into. It was one of the leading companies in technological advancements next to LexCorp. Its security systems were top of the line and almost unbreakable. However, the emphasis for tonight is going to be needed for the word almost. Several figures cloaked in black and silver with red on their faces, indicating the technologic marvels known as Saldebots, working under Slade himself, had already cracked the codes and disabled the alarms. Their goal was a new piece of technology which Wayne Industries was going to present to an anti-crime summit in relation to curing the victims of Mr. Freeze. It was meant to be a better defrosting process than what was previously used, allowing people to become defrosted faster and with less of a risk for physical damage than before. It was meant to be used as a token of good will and a step towards helping people, but others had dollar signs or plots on the mind.

The Sladebots flipped through several laser barriers, not triggering a single one as they found the main laboratory where the terminals containing the data for the new defrosting process and the prototype were being held. One quickly attached a cable from its arm to the keypad. The item blinked for a few moments before the door unlocked and the Saldebots charged in. However, they didn't get far when they froze, seeing the Teen Titans standing in front of them with their weapons ready.

"I think you guys have the wrong address," Robin frowned as the Saldebots pulled their weapons. "Titans! Go!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the opposite world known as the Mirror World, Zoldat, Ryuuki and Shadow were facing an army of their own. They had received another call from the Mirror World, indicating that monsters were coming through for another attack. The trio transformed and went on the hunt, finding themselves at the Wayne Industries building in Jump City. Most likely they monsters were aiming to take anyone in the late night shifts and considering how many people could fit in the building, and army would be needed. They were originally Sheerghosts but then the larval monsters had molted into their next form, blue armored monsters with dragonfly heads and wings known as Raydragoons.

The Raydragoons were more agile than their previous form and were capable of flight. They also had blades equipped to their arms and weren't shy to use them. Shadow slashed at them with his sword as Ryuuki was using his fists. As usual, Zoldat was armed with the bug guns.

"_Shoot Vent!_"

He aimed his Giga Launcher and fired at the Raydragoons in the air, shooting them down. "Like shooting fish in a barrel!" he laughed. Suddenly, he was struck from behind and forced to drop his bazooka. He drew his gun and turned, firing.

"_Nasty Vent!_"

Darkwing swooped in and released a shrill shriek that disoriented the monsters, leaving them open for Shadow's attacks.

"_Strike Vent!_"

"Hyah!" Ryuuki launched fireballs at the Raydragoon and with Dragredder's help was able to deal some extra damage.

The Titans were unaware of the fight happening in the Mirror World, but the Riders could see the Titans fight all too clearly. The walls were polished so they reflected like mirrors.

"_Sword Vent!_"

Ryuuki was armed with his Drag Saber and using it to parry one of the Raydragoons when he saw that Jinx was in trouble. She'd been knocked to the ground and the other Titans were too busy to notice her as one of the Sladebots loomed over her with its gun aimed at her and charging up its weapon.

"No!" Ryuuki drove the Raydragoon back with his foot and rushed towards the reflection.

"Hasuma, what are you doing!" Shadow shouted.

Zoldat got an idea and grinned under his helmet. He grabbed a Raydragoon and said, "He's going after one of the monsters!" He then roughly shoved the monster through the reflective surface of the wall and pushed, sending it through a portal just as Ryuuki leapt in.

Shadow gave Zoldat a look and the green Rider spoke, "What? He was going after the monster."

* * *

Jinx's shoulder was dislocated and it hurt to move even to use one of the hexes. "So…this is how it ends, huh?"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" a red figure shouted as he suddenly shot out of the wall and smashed his fist against the robot's head, knocking its block right off its shoulders. The Titans all looked at the new arrival. He knelt down and helped Jinx up. Suddenly, a Raydragoon tumbled out of the wall as well. The Sladebots, unsure of what this creature was, deemed it hostile and attempted to fire. The Raydragoon's self preservation instincts kicked in and its wings buzzed before it took to the air, dodging the shots. It then dove down and stabbed its arm blades into their chests, knocking them down and deactivating them. It withdrew its blades and was confused to not find any blood.

Ryuuki frowned. A monster had followed after him. "Looks like I have to finish this," said Ryuuki and with his sword he fought the Raydragoon. He then kicked it backwards before drawing a card and putting it in his Visor.

"_Final Vent!_"

* * *

"_Final Vent!_"

Magnugiga, Zoldat's hulking mechanical robot Advent Beast, rose up in front of him. Shadow, knowing full well the sort of damage the attack could cause, smartly got out of the way and got behind his fellow Rider.

"Say goodnight!" Zoldat said as he waved and put the barrel of his gun into a port behind Magnugiga. The chest opened to reveal missile trays as it raised its own cannon arms with the cannons hidden in its legs folding out. He then pulled the trigger, releasing a salvo of firepower at all the Raydragoons. Zoldat's Final Vent, End of the World, was befitting its name since unlike the Final Vents of most Riders it could do a lot of widespread damage all at once.

However, the explosion and recoil would also end up blowing the two Riders backwards. Sensitive equipment and chemicals still tended to blow up when mixed together and/or ignited even in the Mirror World.

* * *

Ryuuki was launched by Dragredder as the dragon sent him flying with a burst of flames. The kick collided with the Raydragoon, causing it to fly backwards and explode. An orb of energy rose up from the flaming remains, only to be captured by Dragredder in a satisfied roar before the Advent Beast dove through the metal walls and vanished back into the Mirror World.

The Titans had just finished off the Sladebots but now all their attention was on one…

Suddenly, Zoldat and Shadow shot out of the wall and hit Ryuuki, causing them to pile up on the red Rider.

…Make that three unknowns.

"Give me some warning before you use that card!" Shadow snapped.

"Hey! I didn't know the explosion would be THAT big!" Zoldat cried.

"Guys, I think we have to worry about something else," said Ryuuki as he got their attention.

"Bloody hell…" Shadow murmured as he saw the Titans staring at them.

"Who are you?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"We don't have time for this!" He slammed his palm onto the floor. Like the walls, the floor was just as polished and reflected their images. As Shadow's hand made contact with the surface, it rippled. The three Riders then slipped through, escaping.

"What the heck just happened?" Beast Boy asked.

"I think we just found our lead to those disappearances," said Robin.

* * *

The three Riders exited out of the mirror that led into their apartment. As Riders, they could use mirrors or any and all reflective surfaces as portals. That was an emergency situation and Shadow was not in the mood to answer any difficult questions.

The Riders climbed to their feet and banished their armor. Vertical rings surrounded their bodies and then split apart, taking the armor with them and the three were back in human form.

Desmond was not happy as he glared at his comrades. "Because of you two, the Titans are now all aware of our existence. It won't be long until they find us."

"Desmond, sooner or later we're going to have to talk to them," Takada argued. "I mean they're investigating all the missing people."

"They'll probably think we had something to do with it," Desmond shot back.

"And we just escaped. What do you think that tells them?" Takada rebutted.

Ryo said sternly, "Guys, we have to go talk to them."

"You just want to see Jinx," accused Desmond.

"Don't you want to see Raven?" Ryo retorted. "I know you do. You miss her just as much as I miss Jinx. You may be cold, but you can't hide your emotions all that well."

Takada looked between his friends and sighed. "I'm going to the club. Don't wait up."

"I need to get something to eat," Ryo muttered heading for the door behind Takada. Stopping for a moment, he glanced at his dark friend. "We can't do this by ourselves and you know that. At this point it looks like the Titans are the only ones who can lend any support. We will need to talk to them. Don't keep avoiding the issue because you're afraid of getting hurt."

"What did you say?" Desmond frowned crossly.

"You heard me," Ryo frowned. Turning his back to Desmond he walked out the door to find his favorite burger joint. He needed something big and filling to get his mind off of his low patience for the night. Desmond watched his comrades go before slumping into a chair, resting his chin in his right hand.

"When did the idealistic one get so smart?" he muttered wearily to himself.

* * *

"Rough night?" Blackfire asked, resting reassuringly across her man's (when did she think of him that way?) lap. He had come in all stressed and had a drink or two before requesting some private time with her. Since he was her favorite guy, she easily accepted. Seeing him so down and depressed just didn't suit him.

"Roommate being a jerk again," Takada sighed. "Seems to be his specialty."

"Ah. I've met people like that," Blackfire nodded. Smiling, she leaned in close and nuzzled his neck, planting a kiss here and there. "Forget about him. This is going to be our time together. I'll make sure you completely forget about that jerk of a roommate."

"Oh how I wish I could bring you home," Takada laughed, stroking the small of Blackfire's back, making her hum.

"Hmm, maybe if you're till depressed after I finish then maybe I'll take you home with me," Blackfire smiled.

Takada looped an arm around her waist and said, "I think I'll like that."

* * *

Robin was reviewing the security tapes. He watched repeatedly as the red one came out from the wall and then destroyed the monster with the aid of a dragon that also flew out of the wall. Then the green and black one also tumbled out before they vanished into the polished wall.

Robin wondered who they were and how they did what they did. He had to find them first but he hadn't had time to put a tracker on them. Still, there was next time. These men, whoever they were, had to know something about the mysterious disappearances. The Teen Wonder was determined to get to the bottom of this case and was not going to rest until he did.

"Robin?" Starfire turned in his seat to see his girlfriend standing in the doorway. He hadn't even heard her come in. "It is late. Why have you not gone to bed?"

"Just watching the footage," answered Robin. "We need to know who these people are and how they can travel through mirrors."

"Robin, Jinx said that the red one saved her life. Maybe they are not villains," said Starfire.

"Maybe, but they know something. I can feel it in my gut. We need to find where they are so we can ask them questions."

"Do you not mean 'interrogate'?" Starfire remarked.

Robin sighed. There was no pulling wool over her eyes. He did plan to interrogate them for answers. He needed to know what was going on. He hated being in the dark about anything.

He replayed the footage to see Ryuuki draw a card out from his belt and put it into his gauntlet. Robin paused and enlarged the image. The back of the card was seen. "Advent Card?"

Why did that sound so familiar?

* * *

Raven was deep in meditation. For a brief moment her eyes had locked with Shadow's and she felt a connection with him. She also had a sense of déjà vu when she saw him in his armor. She wondered where she'd met a man like that. She knew armor like that would not be easy to forget but she could not recall where she'd seen it before.

Before she saw him, she'd been getting strange visions. She could not make any sense of them at all. They were more like memories and were very real. She couldn't tell how she knew, but these visions had happened before. Like Robin, she too hated to be in the dark of things. These men in armor, whoever they were, had to be found.

* * *

Blackfire left work with Takada. She was clinging to his arm. Takada couldn't tear his eyes from her. She wore a black halter top and a miniskirt along with thigh high boots with bracelets around her wrists. As Club Electra's most popular dancer she got paid well and also got a lot of tips from the men who came to watch her dance. A private dance with her was also pricey, but Takada had the funds for it plus she gave him a special discount.

Takada was grinning. Blackfire was taking him to her place. That could only mean one thing…

* * *

The burger joint was opened 24 hours and Ryo was seated at a table eating his 6th cheeseburger. He washed it down with a sip of soda, but it just wasn't enough. The food could not comfort him. Only Jinx could. He wanted to see her, to talk to her, but it would be weird and awkward. He had memories of their meeting and relationship while she had none.

* * *

Jinx rolled in bed, trying to get some sleep, but it wouldn't come. The red figure was on her mind. She just couldn't understand his reason for becoming so enraged when that Sladebot had hurt her. Somehow, it was like he knew her for some reason. As strange as that was, she felt like she knew him from somewhere. A name was so close to her mind that she could almost say it out loud, but it still eluded her.

Who was that masked man?

* * *

KR CHROME: And the beginning of the sequel to ZODIAC RIDER RYUUKI. See how things play out this time around.


	2. SHARD 2: Reunited Memories

SHARD 2: Reunited Memories

Buzzstingers were humanoid bee monsters which usually attacked in groups. Appearance-wise, they were identical with the only trait differing them from each other being their color. At the moment, three Buzzstingers were in the Mirror World. They were coloured red (Buzzstinger Hornet), blue (Buzzstinger Wasp) and yellow (Buzzstinger Bee). These particular breeds of Buzzstingers were known for their teamwork skills, a rarity among Mirror Monsters. It should also be noted that Buzzstingers such as these possessed a unique ability. If they used their teamwork, they could deflect even a Final Vent used by a Kamen Rider, which made them fearsome foes indeed.

Buzzstinger Hornet was armed with needle-blade daggers, Buzzstinger Wasp was armed with a sword and finally Buzzstinger Bee was armed with a bow and arrows.

At the moment, the Buzzstingers were travelling down the streets of Jump City in the Mirror World, looking for the right portal so they could travel to the Real World. It didn't take the too long to find one, seeing as there were reflective surfaces all over the place. As the three made their way towards a portal that would take them to the real world and straight towards their newest targets (humans obviously), they found themselves meeting a couple of obstacles. In this case, a familiar duo of red, and black who made it their business to stop Mirror Monsters wherever they were found.

"Don't look now," began Ryuuki as he stood behind the group, having emerged from an alley with his arms crossed.

"But you're surrounded," finished Shadow as he stood in front of the group, rising from a shadow thanks to the abilities his contract with Darkwing afforded him. The Buzzstingers instantly halted their advance, seeing the two Riders as a threat that needed to be dealt with immediately. The three insect monsters raised their weapons and prepared to go on the offense.

"You want to start?" Ryuuki asked.

"Don't mind if I do," answered Shadow as he put a card in his Dark-Visor.

"_Sword Vent!_"

Ryuuki put a card in his Drag-Visor.

"_Sword Vent!_"

A familiar scimitar flew down from the air, landing in Ryuuki's hand while Shadow received an intimidating lance. Now armed with their swords the Dragon and Bat Riders charged. The Buzzstingers reacted quickly, charging at the pair themselves. Shadow battled against B-Wasp while Ryuuki dealt with B-Hornet. Ryuuki slashed at B-Hornet, dodging the red Buzzstinger's needle-blade daggers as it stabbed them at him. Meanwhile, Shadow was locking blades with the blue Buzzstinger Wasp. As the two Riders fought against their respective opponents, the Buzzstinger Bee was notching an arrow and taking aim, only to stumble as several shots hit it in the back. Hissing as it turned around, it narrowed its eyes, spying a green and silver Rider walking towards the battle, his gun smoking from the recent use.

"Yo," Zoldat waved.

The battle was quickly joined, making it an even three on three fight. As Ryuuki and Buzzstinger Hornet were locked in combat, Zoldat fired at them as well. The shots not only hit the monster but also Ryuuki, separating them.

"Oi!" Ryuuki shouted, rubbing his shoulder where a bullet had struck. "Watch where you're shooting!"

"Sorry!" Zoldat apologized.

Shadow ordered, "Let's finish this." He drew his Final Vent card put it in his Dark-Visor.

"_Final Vent!_"

Ryuki followed suit and slotted his card into the Drag-Visor.

"_Final Vent!_"

Zoldat put a different card in his Magnu-Visor.

"_Shoot Vent!_"

The Buzzstingers stood back to back to each other and spun around and around, hoping to defend themselves from the attacks. It was their method of deflecting attacks which would otherwise harm them. The force of their spinning would cause attacks to swerve and slide away rather than actually being hit.

It didn't work.

Shadow, in the form of a drill, came down at them the same time as Ryuuki was launched by Dragredder and was sent rocketing towards the Buzzstingers to execute his Dragon Rider Kick. Zoldat was armed with his Giga Launcher and after taking aim he fired a shell at the three spinning monsters. While the Buzzstingers could deflect one Final Vent with their tactic, they wouldn't be able to stop two of them and a shot from the Giga Launcher. There was just too much power to try and deflect at once.

The three attacks collided, causing the monsters to erupt into flames. Ryuuki and Shadow both emerged from the flames as the three cores began to hover away from the dwindling flames. However, Darkwing and Dragredder were quick and absorbed one core each. The third tried to flee in a different direction, but had been quickly captured by Magnugiga, who had been hiding nearby in case it was needed. All three monsters let out satisfied cries before departing to do whatever Mirror Monsters did when they weren't fighting.

"Someone's possibly getting serious," Ryuuki frowned. "Buzzstingers are high level Mirror Monsters."

"Or it could just be a swarm that decided to have a run at the human world," Zoldat sighed, stretching his arms.

Shadow concluded, "Regardless, we've taken them down and prevented people from being taken. Now, let's get back before we start to dissolve here." Already the corrosive environment of the Mirror World was starting to take effect as particles fizzled from their bodies and rose into the air.

"Race ya guys! Last one home has to do the laundry!" shouted Zoldat, "That means you gotta wash my dirty undies!"

Ryuuki grimaced and quickly ran towards an exit portal as well. Shaking his head, Shadow also went to exit the Mirror World.

* * *

Jinx sighed as she lay on her bed in her room. The day had been pretty dull for a change, what with no criminals in action and no monsters coming through mirrors trying to kidnap people. That was all well and good in her mind since she was hoping for a day off for a while. Maybe she could head to the mall and see if her favourite stores had anything new in stock. She could invite Starfire too and maybe, finally, try to see what she would look like in gothic clothes.

Part of her was also considering her social life. She had been hoping to get a call from that cute Asian guy she met a week ago, but so far he hadn't even tried to call. She was slightly worried that he didn't find her interesting or was bragging to his buddies he got a superheroine's number, but she just couldn't picture that. Maybe he was just shy and didn't want to bother her when she was busy saving people? She could believe that. The girls of the Teen Titans had a lot of fans, but half of them were too intimidated to really try speaking to them. After all, Starfire could break a guy's back if she hugged them too tightly in her joys of finding new friends. Raven was...Raven and probably wouldn't even try to get a guy even if the world was ending. Jinx herself, well, a lot of guys considered her bad luck especially with her powers and who she used to work for.

And then, out of the blue, her personal cell phone rang. She wondered who was calling her and picked it up. She didn't recognize the number. Shrugging, she decided to answer.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"_Moshi moshi_," the person on the other end answered. "_It's me. Ryo."_

Jinx's eyes widened as she gasped. '_He's calling me!_' she realised. Composing herself, she decided to play, "Ryo? I don't know anyone named Ryo."

"_You gave me your phone number, remember? I'm the guy with red hair and green eyes you met when you were fighting that rock creature_."

Cinderblock. She remembered that battle. "You were the one that caught me."

"_Yes_," Ryo confirmed. "_Well, anyway, can we meet? I want to talk to you. Maybe we can catch a movie and maybe have some dinner? Nothing too fancy."_

He was asking her out on a date. "Alright. Where do you want to meet?"

"_In front of the movie theatre. How does 7:30 sound?_"

"That sounds great," Jinx smiled. "See you then."

"_Bye_," said Ryo.

"Bye," Jinx hung up. Not a split second later, her face broke out in a silly grin that threatened to split her face in half. "Looks like I got a date. Can't wait to tell the others."

* * *

Ryo gazed at his phone fondly, still recalling the conversation. Although the conversation was a while ago and he was already waiting at the theatre, he still couldn't forget hearing her happy voice. He was taking a daring step in asking Jinx out on a date. However, he just wanted to reconnect and pick up where they'd left off. He'd died and left her in grief. Even if she didn't remember, he wanted to apologize for making her cry. "I'm going to make it up to you," he swore.

"Ryo!"

Ryo looked up and saw Jinx running towards him. She wasn't dressed in her usual battle outfit, but something else entirely. She had a black dress on which had red ribbons tied on the shoulders and slightly puffy shoulders. She also wore a white vest overtop of it. The front of the dress was open, revealing her legs and the bicycle shorts underneath. As usual, she had her trademark stockings on as well. Oddly enough, she had even let her hair down, letting her pink hair cascade over her shoulders.

"Jinx-san!" Ryo smiled, although he craved to call her 'chan' or even do away with the honorific. "I'm glad you could make it. I was worried that something would come up."

"Nah, the other Titans can do without me for at least one night," Jinx smiled. She was trying to play it cool, but inside she was positively giddy. She never really got any dates since Kid Flash and that kind of fizzled out a long time ago. "So, what are we watching?"

"Dracula," he answered, holding up two tickets. "I just thought it might be to your liking." The pink-haired girl grinned and wrapped a hand around his arm, causing him to blush and stammer a little. He'd nearly forgotten how forward she was. "Shall we go in?"

"Let's grab some popcorn and soda and we're good to go," said Jinx, smiling. Ryo couldn't help but smile back.

Earlier, when Jinx went to touch his arm, she felt a slight jolt. It felt oddly familiar, like she'd done something similar with him, despite this being their first meeting. She shook the feeling off, intending to enjoy this date as much as possible. If Ryo turned out to be a jerk then she'd leave him on the curb, but something deep inside told her he was anything but a jerk.

* * *

Meanwhile, Desmond was at a bookstore that specialized in gothic reading material. He was browsing, reading the spines to see if anything was interesting. Books were an easy way for him to forget his troubles, particularly the feelings he was getting whenever he saw Raven, albeit briefly.

The feelings he'd developed for her before had not been explored, mainly because he'd been so focused at winning the Rider War. Now that the pressure was off, the only thing separating them was a huge gap in their memories. While he remembered everything they went through, she didn't.

A part of him regretted ever taking the Advent Deck again but since it was important, he took it and remembered everything.

That was why he was so hesitant in reconnecting with Raven. Takada was the bravest of them all, going to meet Blackfire to spark their romance again in a new light. Even Ryo was taking his chances. Him, the Bat Rider, who was said to be fearless**,** just didn't have the courage to talk to Raven.

"Stupid idiots," he muttered. "Stupid…happy…idiots."

He envied them.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Jinx asked as she sat next to Ryo who cringed a little as he watched the movie.

"Why do you ask?" he responded.

"You're shaking," she pointed out.

"I never knew they could make the blood in movies look so real," he told her. The movie was really bloody. He never dealt with horror movies that well, but he thought that since taking up the Dragon Rider mantle again, he'd be able to deal with it. He turned out to be very wrong in that regard. Fighting Mirror Monsters was never this...graphic. Maybe it was because Mirror Monsters were artificial life forms in their own regards, considering that two children's imaginations managed to create them all. This movie...ugh.

"Awww, don't worry," Jinx giggled. He was so cute when he was trying to be brave like this! Taking his arm, she spoke in the most relaxing tone she could. "I'll keep the bad monsters from hurting you. I am a superhero, remember?"

'_Monsters from this world, maybe,_' Ryo thought to himself before putting on a grin. "Arigatou."

Smiling, Jinx let her head rest against Ryo's arm as they both watched the movie. His shivering slowed down, possibly meaning he was calming down...or he was just so distracted by her he wasn't afraid of the movie.

Now he could focus. Somehow he had to make her recall those memories. It was nice to start over but in regards to Jinx he wasn't very patient. He wasn't very generous either. He never thought he was so possessive, but as a Rider his life expectancy was short so he had no time to waste.

Still, he needed to take things slow and make sure she was comfortable with him. Clearly, the way she was acting right now indicated that she was. Takada told him to just go with the flow.

He glanced at her and in the darkness with the only light source coming from the movie screen he could make out her lovely features. This exotic creature looked so serene. His eyes wandered to her lips and he blushed at the thought of kissing her. He wasn't inexperienced but he was no player like Takada either. For him, romance couldn't be rushed.

'_Just enjoy the moment_,' he said mentally to himself. He was glad that nothing would interrupt them.

* * *

As for Takada, he was once again visiting Club Elektra. He was becoming a regular, with his favourite girl being Blackfire. To the patrons of the club and even her fellow dancers, he was Blackfire's favourite patron and the most frequent. What they didn't know was that the pair had begun a relationship. Technically she wasn't allowed to strike up a relationship with patrons, but it was one of those rules which were made to save face and never really obeyed. So, Blackfire and Takada held their steamy sessions in the privacy of the dance rooms and had the actual relationship outside of the club doors. Neither of them regretted the decision.

Grinning, Takada wondered what Blackfire had in store for him. Usually guys who dated exotic dancers were completely in the dark about what their other halves did for a living or were notoriously jealous, fearing that they were getting some on the side. For Takada, that problem didn't exist. He knew all he needed about her, including what made her take this job.

True, she was a princess but she was banished and fleeing from the law. She came to Earth to hide. She didn't know what else to do so she used her looks to her advantage and got this job. It was honest work and she got paid a lot just to dance and remove her clothes for horny men. Despite it being beneath her and unbecoming of her as a princess, what else could she do? If she decided to steal money then the Titans would be on her in an instant. Being a waitress would only get her minimum wage. This job earned her way more than a waitress could in a week and as the most popular dancer she got a lot of tips. Too bad guys were just interested in her body.

At least there was one guy she enjoyed dancing for.

She sat on Takada's lap and gave him a kiss on the cheek, whispering, "Been waiting for you. I have something special I cooked up just for you."

"Can't wait," he grinned roguishly. She was wearing a purple bikini and her body was glistening. Already he could feel his pants tightening.

He was in for a good night

* * *

Jinx had a bright smile on her face as she and Ryo exited the theatre. It wasn't the most romantic date she could think of being on, but Ryo definitely played to her tastes. He also tried his best to make sure that she had a nice time. Maybe a little overboard at parts, but she definitely wouldn't complain. Judging by how he reacted to her holding his arm with blushes or silence, she could see that he was the shy type. It definitely explained why he waited a week to call her. He probably wasn't sure if she was interested in him. Well, she was definitely interested after his efforts tonight.

"So you're from Japan?" Jinx asked, curious about the boy who caught her interest.

"Hai. Me and some friends came here for a...vacation," Ryo nodded. "Our first day here and we got to see one of the Teen Titans' fights up close. I'm just sorry I didn't get any pictures. But...I did get to meet you."

"And I get to meet you too, Ryo," said Jinx. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a college student, really, but I do freelance photographing for newspapers," he answered.

"Photography, huh? Mind taking a picture of me?" she asked.

"I forgot my camera," he said. He took out his cell phone and flipped it open, "But I think I can use this." He pointed the camera at her and took a quick shot. He smiled as her images showed on the screen. "Maybe next time I can get a proper camera."

"That'll be nice," she said. She couldn't wait to tell the girls about this.

However, her night would soon be ruined.

A familiar, annoying and nasally voice spoke, "Look what we have here. The traitor."

Jinx blanched, "Oh, no…" Standing not too far away were the Hive Five and they'd spotted her. There was the diminutive Gizmo, the muscular Mammoth, the cyclopean See-More, the quiet Kyd Wykkyd and the multiplying Billy Numerous. Somehow, they'd gotten unfrozen and up to their own tricks again. Her betrayal of them was something they couldn't believe and they hated her for it.

"And she has a friend," added Gizmo.

"Friends of yours?" Ryo asked Jinx.

"Not quite," answered Jinx, holding onto Ryo's arm tightly.

"It's been awhile, Jinx," said Mammoth, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, we were just hoping on hitting some ATM machines, but now that you're here we can pay you back for getting us frozen," said See-More, a hand on the dial on his helmet.

"And this time no Titans to help you!" said Billy in his annoying southern drawl. "Ain't that right, Billy?" He created a clone who agreed with him, "That's right, Billy!"

Jinx could fight them, but there was a problem. She had to also protect Ryo. The Hive Five could easily outnumber her considering they had Billy on their side and he could multiply nearly infinitely. He had a limit, but she just couldn't risk it.

However, as she got ready to launch a hex to create a distraction, Ryo stood before her. "Ryo, what are you doing!" Jinx demanded.

"Gentlemen, please leave us alone," Ryo demanded. The Hive Five looked at him then laughed.

"Oh, look at this!" Gizmo guffawed, "The nobody trying to play hero! Who is this guy, Jinx? Your new boy toy? Whatever happened to Kid Flash?"

"Oh, look at me!" Billy mocked in a high-pitched voice, "I'm Jinx, the damsel-in-distress!" The others continued to laugh.

Ryo's eyes narrowed. Desmond had warned him about being discrete. He had to hide his identity about being a Rider. He could not allow anyone to know who he was.

'_Screw that!_' Ryo snapped in his head, making an instant decision. He took his Advent Deck out of his back pocket and thrust it out in front of him. The crest glowed as red energy flowed down his arm to his waist to form his belt.

"What?" Jinx blinked. The Hive Five were still laughing so they hadn't noticed the belt forming but Jinx did.

"Henshin!" Ryo called out as he locked the deck into the hollow front of his belt. The gold crest released a flash of light before a sphere of red energy formed around Ryo along with twin energy rings that went up and down his body to cover him in armor. Now the Hive Five's attention was on the transforming Ryo as was Jinx's as her eyes went wide like saucer plates.

Ryo was Ryuuki, the guy who'd saved her from that monster!

When the armor fully formed, Ryuuki said, "I am not playing hero. I am a hero." He looked to Jinx and asked, "May I?" the pink-haired girl nodded dumbly.

"Get him!" Gizmo ordered. Now they recognised Ryuuki as a threat. The Hive Five charged but stopped in their tracks as Ryuuki waved his arm and a wall of flame suddenly erupted in front of them.

"Woah!" See-More yelped.

"Hot!" Billy and his clones shouted.

Suddenly, Ryuuki jump through the flames to land a punch across Mammoth's face, sending him staggering backwards. He then reabsorbed the flames and glared at the Hive Five. Jokingly, he asked, "You like card games?" He opened up his Drag-Visor and drew out his Contract card before sliding said card into the Visor and closing it.

"_Attack Vent!_"

A roar was heard and what really freaked the Hive Five out was the appearance of Dragredder. Ryuuki then grabbed Jinx's hand as Dragredder's appearance had taken their attention away from them. "Come on!" he shouted. With a nod she allowed him to drag her along as they fled away.

"Hey, they're getting away!" shouted Gizmo.

"Gizmo, I think we should worry more about us!" said Mammoth as he ducked under the dragon's claw.

"This is freaky!" shouted Billy.

Gizmo grumbled.

The dragon roared one last time before retreating back into the Mirror World. As for Ryuuki and Jinx, they'd found a window and Ryuuki had jumped in with her. After travelling through the portal, Jinx found herself and the armoured young man back at his apartment, coming out through the mirror.

"Where are we?" Jinx asked.

"My place," said Ryuuki. "Please, step back while I change." She did as told, taking a few steps back as he spread his arms to the side. Two vertical rings of energy appeared around him and moved apart, splitting his armor up in the middle before stripping it off him and vanishing. He looked to Jinx and said, "You want answers, don't you?"

"Yes," nodded Jinx. "Ryo, who are you really?" She really wanted to know about him, especially his powers. When she thought she'd found a normal guy, he pulls something like this off.

"I…" Ryo began, only to be interrupted by a shrill ringing sound. It was an attack warning. A Mirror Monster was on the prowl. "Hold that thought. I have to take care of something."

"Huh?"

"When I get back, I'll tell you everything. But, for now, please make yourself at home." He went to the mirror and held his deck out in front of it. Again Jinx watched as the energy flowed down his arm to his waist and forming his belt. "Henshin!" he called out as he put the deck inside his belt. The red sphere of energy and rings appeared, the rings moving up and down to envelop him in armor. When they were gone, he gave Jinx a nod before jumping into the mirror.

Jinx was debating with herself. Should she call the Titans and tell them about this, or wait until Ryo returned with an explanation. After thinking things through, she chose the latter. She didn't know why, but she knew she could trust him.

* * *

The monster, a Deadlemur, was a three-eyed humanoid lemur with a tail that could double as a gun. It was roaming around, looking for an intended target. When it'd spotted the human it wanted to capture, it began to jump towards the reflective surface of the window, only for a Ride Shooter to suddenly shoot out and ram into it, knocking it to the ground. The Deadlemur hissed as it rolled on the ground in pain. The Ride Shooter stopped and opened, revealing Ryuuki.

"You're not taking anyone today," said Ryuuki coldly. He then charged at the monster.

* * *

Jinx saw the door open and saw Desmond enter. Their eyes met and his narrowed. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Ryo brought me here," she answered.

"And where is Ryo?" he asked.

"He went out to take care of something," she answered.

Desmond swiftly strode over to where she sat and looked her in the eye. "You know, don't you?" Jinx's eyes widened as she began to sweat. He straightened up and looked to the mirror. "I better have a few words with him. You should stay put." He went towards the mirror and slipped right through.

Jinx's heart was racing. Desmond's eyes were scary.

* * *

"_Guard Vent!_"

Ryuuki had summoned his shields to block the Deadlemur's shots. It then leapt at him with a kick only for Shadow to jump out of nowhere and knock it out of the air with his Wing Lancer. Ryuuki blinked and then exclaimed, "Desmond!"

"You and I need to have a talk after this," said Shadow sternly, "Right now we have a monster to deal with."

Ryuuki nodded and put a card in his Visor.

"_Sword Vent!_"

With his weapon, Ryuuki charged at the recovering Deadlemur. It shot at him but he rolled under the shots before he jumped up and landed a slash across its chest, sending it staggering backwards. He then swung a kick into its hand, knocking the gun out before slamming a fist straight into the Deadlemur's face. The two then began to grapple as Shadow watched. Ryuuki was wasting time on this monster.

Shadow drew a card and put it into his Dark-Visor before closing the slot.

"_Final Vent!_"

Shadow then charged forward with Darkwing flying closely behind him. He then leapt up as Darkwing attached to his back. Ryuuki saw this and slammed his elbow upon the Deadlemur's head and pushed it in the path of Shadow's attack with a kick. The Deadlemur looked up just as Shadow's cape wrapped around him and spun into a drill. He then dropped upon the Deadlemur, performing his Hishou Zan attack, causing the creature to erupt in flames. The Deadlemur's core then rose into the air and was absorbed by Dragredder as it flew past.

Shadow then approached Ryuuki and grabbed him by the arm. "Come on! Your girl is waiting for you."

* * *

Jinx saw the glass surface of the mirror ripple before Desmond and Ryo leapt out of it. Ryo looked slightly out of breath.

"What happened?" Jinx asked.

"A monster, but it was taken care of," said Ryo.

"I'm surprised she didn't run off and tell her friends about us," said Desmond with a frown. It was what he would have done. If Robin was as determined/obsessive as Desmond remembered, then he would have been on all of the Titans' cases to try and find any sort of clue to their identities.

"Give her some credit, Desmond. I trust her," said Ryo. Desmond just continued to scowl.

"Ryo, what's going on? Just who are you both?" Jinx asked.

"We're Zodiac Riders," answered Ryo, deciding to leave nothing else. "We protect people from the monsters of the Mirror World."

"Mirror World?"

"An alternate world which resembles this one, only inhabited by monsters," he clarified. He took out his Advent Deck and showed it to her. "With these Advent Decks, we can travel into the Mirror World to fight those monsters."

Jinx admired the Advent Deck. It was a black rectangular case with a gold dragon crest on top. She absently traced her fingers along the surface but then recoiled from a sudden jolt of power. "What was that!" Desmond cocked an eyebrow. Ryo blinked in surprise.

"I don't know," said Ryo. "That happened when I first touched it and…" Realization hit. "Jinx, put your hand on the deck."

"What? Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Please, just trust me," he said. '_It's a long shot, but I have nothing else to lose._'

'_Ryo, what do you think you're doing?_' Desmond questioned in his mind.

Jinx hesitantly placed her hand onto the Advent Deck. While she barely knew Ryo, he'd r saved her three times already. He wasn't a bad person. She could feel it. She knew she could trust him. Thinking of no reason to distrust Ryo, she pressed her hand atop the deck before it released a bright flash of red light.

**FLASH!**

_Jinx landed roughly on the floor and rubbed her head. The tentacle had removed itself from her body and she shuddered. The thing in front of her was an ugly monster. It was mainly purple and had tentacles hanging down its back like a cape. It was a humanoid squid. It stared at her hungrily and even if she escaped it now, there was no way she could survive in the Mirror World for long._

_She squeaked out, "Help…" as the monster came closer._

_Suddenly, Ryuuki flew out of the mirror and hit the squid monster head on with is fist. Ryuuki had faced this kind of creature before. It was called a Killamareon._

"_Are you alright?" he asked Jinx who nodded dumbly. "Stay here and don't move. We're not in your room right now, not really."_

_The Killamareon fell to the ground and rolled before lashing out with its tentacles. The tentacles wrapped themselves around his throat, wrists and ankles. Ryuuki grinned under his helmet._

"_How about some barbequed calamari?" Ryuuki said menacingly as he ignited his fire power, burning off the tentacles. The creature shrieked and sent out a ball of ink at him, blinding him._

_Ryuuki flailed around, but then calmed down. Ryuuki heard the thing slowly approaching him, intending to make him its lunch. Too bad._

_Ryuuki drew a card and inserted it into his armguard. He then activated the card. "Attack Vent!"_

_A loud roar filled the air as a large red dragon slammed into the side of the creature, sending it crashing into the wall and shocking Jinx. Ryuuki wiped his visor clean and looked up at Dragredder. "Time to finish this," Ryuuki said, drawing a new card and sliding it into his armguard._

"_Final Vent!"_

_With a shout and a roar, Ryuuki performed his signature flaming flying kick attack and destroyed the monster, which exploded into a ball of fire upon impact. Its energy core was promptly eaten by Dragredder._

**FLASH!**

_The two identical Riders started to immediately exchange blows. Punches were thrown and kicks slices through the air, hitting and missing their marks. The Titans watched as this deadly dance commenced with the ferocity only two dragons would possess._

_Ryuuki dodged under a kick aimed for his head and then went to slam both his palms into Ryuuga's chest who spun on his heel to dodge and then smash the heel of his raised leg onto Ryuuki's back. Ryuuki performed a sweep kick that Ryuuga leapt over but left him open for a punch to the chest, sending him tumbling along the ground. Ryuuki charged at him as he recovered and they threw their fists at each other. The fists made explosive contact and sent them skidding in opposite directions. They hurled fireballs from their hands but the two powers cancelled each other out. When they steadied themselves, they growled at each other._

_At once, they reached for their belts, drew their cards and activated them._

_"Sword Vent!" Ryuuki's Visor called in its computerized male voice while Ryuuga's Visor had a distorted and near demonic voice._

"**_Sword Vent!"_**

_They grabbed their identical blades as they materialized and continued their battle._

_"Hiiiyaaa!" Ryuuki cried as he ran at his opponent, swinging his sword. His sword was blocked by Ryuuga's sword and the black Rider kicked him hard in the ribs. He then followed up with roundhouse kick to Ryuuki's side. Ryuuki staggered a bit, but was able to withstand the attack. He then punched Ryuuga hard in the face, causing him to fly backwards. He flipped through the air and landed on the ground. Ryuuga popped his neck and charged at Ryuuki and sparks flew from their continuing battle. The Titans cheered, encouraging their new friend._

_"Go Ryuuki!" yelled Beast Boy._

_"You the man!" yelled Cyborg._

_"Go friend Ryuuki. Show that dragon who is boss!" yelled Starfire._

_"You can do it!" Robin yelled._

_Meanwhile, Raven had snuck to Jinx's position by use of her powers and started to untie her. Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing roar as a black dragon burst from the ground and towered over Raven and Jinx. The two girls looked horrified as the dragon stared at them with red eyes and then opened its mouth to reveal blue flames._

_Ryuuki, seeing this, shouted, "NO!" and instantly drew his Contract and slid it into hi Drag-Visor._

"_Attack Vent!"_

_Dragredder smashed right through the wall and clamped its jaws down on its dark counterpart, Dragblacker. The black dragon roared in pain as it struggled out of the red dragon's grip. Like their masters, they too started to fight. Raven took advantage of this to untie Jinx and bring her to safety. However…_

"_Don't leave just yet!" Ryuuga shouted and instantly a dome of ice erected itself around the two girls. "You'll miss the show!"_

_"**Strike Vent!**"_

_Ryuuga's Black Drag Claw cannon appeared on his right arm. Like Ryuuki's, it was modelled after his dragon's head. He then fired a blast of ice which slammed into Ryuuki. The intense cold forced Ryuuki onto his knees. The red Rider shivered._

_"Ryo, no…" Jinx said. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want Ryo to die._

_"I better end your misery, Ryuuki…" Ryuuga said as he stood over Ryuuki._

_"I…Don't…Think…SO!" Ryuuki dropped his sword, then clasped both his fists together and swung his arms as hard as he could into Ryuuga's face. Ryuuga fell to the ground, clutching his broken mask in pain._

_"Damn you…" Ryuuga hissed._

_An intense flame formed around both Ryuuki's fist as he picked himself up. The flame spread all over his body and melted the ice away. It was starting to melt Ryuuga's ice barrier too. "Fire always beats ice…always…"_

"_NO!" Ryuuga protested. "NO IT DOESN'T!"_

_His red eyes focused on Jinx. The dome of ice had melted due to the intense heat Ryuuki was generating. He then aimed the Black Drag Claw at Jinx and Raven. Without warning he fired a large ball of blue flames._

_"JINX-SAN!" Ryuuki screamed in horror as he rushed to protect Jinx from the psychotic black Rider. Jinx screamed and shut her eyes as the ball came closer to her. However, the blow did not connect. She opened one eye and gasped. Ryuuki stood in front of her, arms stretched to his sides as if shielding her from something. Her eyes widened with shock as ice began to form all over his body, freezing him._

**FLASH!**

"_I love you," Jinx confessed._

_Ryo pushed her away from him and turned his back to her. She was hurt by his reaction. Was he rejecting her feelings?_

"_Please, don't love me," he told her._

"_But why not?" she asked._

"_Because everyone that has ever loved me is gone, and I don't want you to be one of them." He walked away, ignoring her pleas. "I'm sorry." He added, "Come on, we have to go and save Yui."_

**FLASH**

"_What's the matter?" Ryuuga taunted. "Getting tired?"_

_Ryuuki was panting and groaning. He was back in his default form. His shoulders rose and fell as his breathing became haggard. "No. You?"_

"_As if!" she snorted. She reached down to her belt and pulled out a card that depicted her emblem on the face. "One last move to end it."_

_Ryuuki did the same, trembling fingers reaching for his deck. He slid the card out of the case and then reached to his Drag-Visor, sliding it open. He slotted in the card and closed it. "This is for Miho…"_

_Ryuuga did the same._

"_Final Vent!"_

"**_Final Vent!_**_"_

_Ryuuki went through the set up pose for his attack as Ryuuga did the same. Their dragons flew around them before posing threateningly and roaring. The twin Dragon Riders then stared each other down before going into a charge and leaping up. Their respective dragons sent them rocketing forwards with their flames._

"_HYAH…!" Ryuuki shouted._

"_ROYARGH!" Ryuuga shouted._

_Both Rider Kicks collided, resulting in a huge explosion. Jinx shielded her eyes. The smoke was thick and she accidentally breathed some in. "Ryo! Ryo, are you there?"_

_She saw a figure walk towards her and once he walked out of the smoke cloud Jinx smiled. However, her expression turned into that of horror when she saw the bleeding wound on his side and the blood dripping from his mouth as he staggered._

"_RYO!" Jinx screamed as she ran towards him as he fell against a car. "Ryo, are you okay!"_

"_Jinx…" he said weakly. "I killed her…" Tears were falling from his eyes. Jinx knew what he meant by that. He'd just killed his sister._

"_You…you had no choice," she said to him. "She was gonna kill you…" He was dying and there was nothing she could do. She pulled up his shirt and tore her sleeve off. "I'll bandage the wound! Then we can get to Titans Tower and…" She felt his hand on her arm._

"_It's too late…" he said weakly._

"_No, it isn't!" she denied. "You can't give up! You can't die! I won't let you!" she screamed._

_Ryo smiled and said, "Don't cry, OK? I…Love you…" His eyes closed._

"_Ryo?" She shook him. "No…" She placed her hand on his chest._

_No heartbeat._

"_RYO!"_

_But no matter how loud she called his name, he would not answer._

**FLASH!**

Jinx was finally brought back to reality and gasped as her eyes filled with tears. Her pink eyes met his concerned green eyes. "Jinx-san, I…"

"RYO!" she exclaimed, hugging him tight. "You're alive! You're alive!" tears of joy and relief were falling from her eyes. On impulse, she kissed him directly on the lips. Ryo nearly lost his balance when she did. The pair stumbled across the room before Ryo flopped back on a chair, Jinx clinging to him tightly as she cried while still kissing him.

Desmond watched as the couple had their heartfelt reunion before turning away with a scowl.

He envied them.

* * *

Kamen Rider Chrome: And so Jinx remembers Ryo again! Yay! However, what will this mean for the other Titans? Stay tuned for more. BTW, I'd like to thank Ten-Faced Paladin and Shadow Element 13 for their help.


	3. SHARD 3: Loving Memories

SHARD 3: Loving Memories

Desmond was sitting at his usual café, apparently at ease. He was sipping tea and reading a book he had bought that day and looked like he was posing for a portrait. Some of the bolder waitresses of the shop certainly didn't mind snapping a pic on their phones when they were sure he wasn't looking.

In truth, Desmond was not calm at all. He had achieved a state he reviled for most of his life. Indecision.

Since Jinx got her memories back, she would come over everyday and immediately grab Ryo and either passionately make out with him or just cuddle with him on the couch as they watched a movie or fell asleep watching TV. Add to the fact that Takada and Blackfire had come home from a party one night and the girls decided to share a double movie night in the theatre. Thankfully, Jinx correctly guessed that Blackfire wasn't in the know about the Zodiac Riders since the exiled princess didn't seem to recognize her all that well.

* * *

All of a sudden, from the glass skylight of the mall, white humanoid figures descended on thick strings of silk and down to the ground floor. As soon as they were sighted, people began to panic and flee. The Sheerghosts started to grab people and ascend back to the Mirror World. However, these monsters' plans were about to hit a snag.

FSHOOM!

Several fireballs hit the strings and monsters, causing them to fall and drop their prisoners. A red haired boy shouted, "Go! Run! Get out of here!"

"Ryo!" Desmond ordered, "Make sure all the civilians are evacuated then get back here!"

"We'll deal with the bug problem!" added Takada.

Ryo gave a nod and made sure to evacuate the people, knocking down any monsters that got in his way. "This way!" he shouted, pointing to the nearby exit. He recognized a head of blonde hair among the people. 'Terra?' He focused on the matter at hand. Right now, he was supposed to help the people get out of what would soon become a battlefield.

Desmond and Takada whipped out their Advent Decks and the energy surged down their arms to their waists, forming their Advent Belts. They then performed their respective poses and called out, "Henshin!"

The Bat and Ox Decks were locked in and energy spheres in the Riders' respective colors surrounded them as the energy rings swept over their bodies, forming their armor.

Zoldat cracked his knuckles and rushed into battle, drawing his gun, as Shadow ran alongside him with his sword in hand.

Shadow slashed and stabbed at the Sheerghosts. They attacked him in groups but were knocked down with a swing of his sword. Zoldat was keeping his distance and shooting the monsters down with his Magnu-Visor. Deciding to go for the big guns, he took a card out and pulled out the tray of his card chamber before loading the card and pushing the tray in.

"_Shoot Vent!"_

The Giga Launcher fell into his hands and he aimed at the Sheerghosts descending from the ceiling, blasting them to bits with artillery shells. He was so focused on firing that he didn't realize that he was being surrounded and three Sheerghosts shot strings of silk that tied around his neck and left arm, causing him to drop his weapon as he tried to rip the ropes off. "Kuso…" Zoldat cursed. Fortunately, his invulnerability and armor prevented them from choking him.

He drew his Visor and shot at the Sheerghosts, knocking them down one by one. He then tore off the silk rope around his neck and continued to go on the assault.

* * *

When Robin and the others had received the call about mutant bugs attacking the mall, they assumed that Mad Moth was at it again. They had experience with the crazed bug man and thought they knew what they were getting into. At worst, they were expecting the rabid and hungry moths to be chewing on anything they could get their little appendages on.

What they got was a warzone.

Grubby white monsters with bronze on their arms and legs alone with clear domes covering most of their faces were going nuts in the mall. The majority of them were swarming in a central section below a glass skylight, looking like they were fighting over something. A few stragglers were wandering around the mall apparently looking for something as they kicked over trash cans, tossed benches, or threw potted plants away.

In the centre of the chaos was a pair of familiar figures. The Titans easily recognized them as two of the three from that fateful night in Wayne Industries where they fell out of the polished walls and onto the floor. The green one was caught in strands of silk extending from several of the monsters' mouths as he shot wildly, impacting several of them. The one in black was dodging blows gracefully and striking at every monster within range.

Robin wasn't sure if the armored figures were friends or not, but he could tell one thing. They needed help.

"Titans! Go!"

Once Zoldat loosened himself from the monsters' trap, he saw Cyborg blasting at the Sheerghosts with his sonic cannon and Beast Boy morphing into T-Rex form. It brought back memories of the times they worked together. He then focused on the matter at hand and started shooting down monsters.

Shadow grimaced. He intended to end this fight before the Titans arrived but he underestimated how quickly they responded to situations like this. He would need to worry about this later. As soon as the Sheerghosts were destroyed he would flee. He did not want to confront the Titans.

Starfire was with Raven in the air and the Tamaranean princess blasted at the monsters with her green starbolts. Raven grabbed a few of the monsters with her powers and bashed them together.

Like a gymnast, Jinx used her agility and flexibility to escape from the monsters' attacks. She then took aim and swung her arms out, sending them flying with hex blasts. Her eyes went towards the two Riders and she wondered where her dragon knight was.

"_Strike Vent!_"

A blast of fire collided with several of the Sheerghosts, causing them to explode. Jinx's eyes widened and she smiled when she saw Ryuuki standing not too far away with his Drag Claw pointed forward.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Jinx nodded.

Shadow opened his sword's card chamber and slid in a card before shutting it.

"_Sword Vent!_"

Darkwing flew past and this caught Robin's attention. He then watched as the bat dropped something and it was revealed to be a weapon that Shadow caught in his hand. He sheathed his sword and caught the Wing Lancer in his hands. He charged forward, striking down monsters with his weapon. He stabbed the Wing Lancer forward, knocking a Sheerghost backwards into its kin. He then swung in a wide arch, knocking a few more backwards.

"We're wasting time here!" Shadow shouted.

"Let me take care of this with one blow!" Zoldat said as he drew a card. He was about to slot it into his Magnu-Visor but Ryuuki grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Huh?"

"We're not in the Mirror World. Try to keep collateral damage at minimum," Ryuuki reminded.

"Ryuuki!" Shadow called and he drew a card, flashing the face to reveal it was his Final Vent. Ryuuki nodded, understanding what Shadow was signaling for before opening his Drag-Visor and drawing his own card.

Beast Boy, curious, asked, "Hey, what are they doing?"

"_Final Vent!_"

Ryuuki spread his feet and crouched as he got into his stance. Emerging from the Mirror world via display window, Dragredder flew around his contractor, roaring. The red Rider then leapt high into the air before performing a flip, Dragredder following him the whole way. He then went into a flying kick stance with Dragredder behind him. With a burst of flames Ryuuki was sent rocketing towards the Sheerghosts like a blazing bullet.

Shadow ran towards the monsters, with Darkwing flying overhead. He then jumped up and the two combined with the bat attached to his back. He then descended, the Wing Lancer pointed down as the wings became a cape that wrapped around him, spinning into a drill as his descent accelerated.

"_Shoot Vent!_"

Zoldat's Giga Cannons attached to his shoulders and he took aim before firing charged up plasma balls at the Sheerghosts.

The two Riders slammed into their targets and a chain reaction of explosions followed. Sheerghosts caught in the impacts but didn't immediately explode were flung in all directions. Their flaming bodies crashed into more of their fellow monsters, causing more explosions in a short, but destructive chain reaction. From the remains, several glowing orbs rose up which Dragredder and Darkwing gulped down with glee.

The surviving monsters saw this and began to flee, jumping into windows, glass display cases, plastic display boards, even the fountain where people would toss spare change to escape into the Mirror World. Roaring, Dragredder and Darkwing gave chase, vanishing through reflective surfaces as well.

"Come on!" ordered Dark. "We have them on the run!" He started to give chase. Ryuuki and Zoldat were about to follow only for a dark wall of energy to appear and block their path. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible for it. The three Riders turned to see Robin with a stern look on his face.

"No running this time," the boy wonder frowned. "You want to leave, you answer our questions."

"Well…" Zoldat began.

"Ano…" Ryuuki gulped.

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry," Shadow retorted as he quickly drew a card. Slipping it into his Dark-Visor, he shut it and activated the card.

"_Nasty Vent!_"

The activation was like a herald for Darkwing's return. The bat Mirror Monster dove out of the skylight and let out a massive screech. All of the Titans instantly had their hands on their ears as they tried to block out the horrible screeching noise. Raven was no exception as she lost her concentration and the barrier she created went down. Seeing the wall was gone, Shadow grabbed his two temporarily deafened teammates and tossed them into a store's display window before he and Darkwing used the same exit.

The Titans were left rubbing their ears to get the ringing out, with Robin feeling his temper beginning to boil as the strangers had escaped yet again.

* * *

"Ow ow ow!" Takada grumbled as he and his comrades reentered their apartment. Ryo and Takada were both nursing their ears as Desmond followed them in. "Dammit! Desmond, what the heck?"

"We were in a tight spot," Desmond shrugged. "We don't want to get the Titans involved in this."

"More like you don't want to get the Titans involved since that would mean being in contact with Raven again," Ryo muttered. "I'll have to call Jinx and just hope that she isn't upset with me."

"Crap," Takada sighed. "Desmond, it would be one thing if there were enough of us to cover the city and keep the Mirror Monsters out easily. However, there are only three of us and in case you haven't noticed, Jump City is a big place. We can't cover it all. We are going to need the Titans' help. Now stop hiding behind the cold commander, get off your butt, and just deal with it! Raven is not going to go away or would you rather wait until a Mirror Monster nabs her before you decide that working with the Titans is okay?"

"Look, the Titans can't help us deal with the Mirror World. They aren't Riders and we're doing well enough without their help," retorted Desmond, ignoring the comment about Raven. "Now that they know we're the ones dealing with the Mirror Monsters they know we're on their side."

"Running away like that wasn't exactly a show of good faith!" Ryo yelled angrily. "They must think we're bad guys."

"It's bad enough that you brought Jinx into all this. The Titans should stay out of this. The mistake we made last time was letting them get too close," Desmond retorted with a frown.

"They were our friends, Desmond!" Ryo cried out.

"_Were_ our friends; past tense! Only Jinx remembers and that's not enough for you," Desmond countered.

"You know that Ryo has a point," said Takada and the Bat Rider aimed an icy glare at the Ox Rider. "Look, we just let the Titans touch our decks and-"

"Knowing Robin he'd think we were trying to brainwash them. You know how paranoid and suspicious he gets," Desmond interrupted. "Right now we need to hold the fort until the others can get here."

"This sucks," Ryo grumbled. "Jinx is going to be mad at me because you nearly caused her to go deaf."

"I had to provide a distraction for us to escape," said Desmond logically. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Stand and talk?" Takada suggested.

Desmond glared and with a huff he stormed into his room before he slammed the door shut. A click signaled it being locked.

"Why did we have to have such a stubborn idiot for leader?" grumbled Takada as he scratched his head.

"That's just how he is," Ryo sighed. "Now what?"

"We have no choice. We gotta do what we have to do," Takada resolved.

"Speaking of which, are you going to let Blackfire touch your deck?" Ryo inquired.

"No, at least not yet," Takada answered. The last thing Blackfire remembered of him was of him dying in her arms. He couldn't put her through that again. "I wanna rebuild my relationship with her before springing something like that on her."

"At least you're braver than Desmond."

* * *

Robin looked at the surveillance videos. This way he could get a clue on the identities of those armored and masked men were. However, none of the videos he'd viewed showed him anything useful. All they showed was what they had seen. These strange men in armor possessed the same ability to use mirrors as portals just like the monsters and also had the ability to defeat the monsters. Robin deemed them dangerous due to the level of power they possessed.

Still, Robin couldn't make a conclusion until he got one of them to talk. Just how was he going to do that?

* * *

Jinx returned to her room in her regular clothes as she dried her hair with a towel. She smelled a little like smoke after that fight in the mall and all of the explosions which sounded off when Ryuuki, Zoldat, and Shadow wiped the floor with those monsters.

Since reclaiming her memories, Jinx wanted nothing more than to grab Ryo, drag him back into Titan's Tower and lock him in her room for a few hours and have her wicked way with him. Her last memory of him ended up with him being dead. Now he was alive and back in her arms, how was she supposed to react? She wanted her man to be around twenty-four seven so he wouldn't have something bad happen to him again.

"Ryo…just what were you thinking?"

Taking a seat at a vanity table, she prepared to brush any tangles out when she looked into the glass and almost cried out in fright. Staring back at her wasn't her reflection, but her boyfriend Ryuuki. Jinx was slightly stunned but instantly waved for him to come through. Ryuuki immediately complied as he slipped through the glass and onto her carpet with a sigh. Clenching his fists, he allowed his armor to be stripped off by a pair of red rings, returning him to normal. She stood up and he caressed her face with his right hand. She blushed at the contact. His hand was so warm, like a flame.

"Are you okay? Desmond's Nasty Vent didn't hurt you, did it?" he asked, concerned.

"My ears are still ringing, but I'm okay," Jinx smiled, wrapping her arms around Ryo's neck and stealing a soft kiss.

"It wasn't my idea, though. It was Desmond who summoned Darkwing with his Nasty Vent."

"Desmond still doesn't want to meet the Titans, does he? What's his deal?"

Ryo sighed. "He wants to keep our work a secret, but since that's been shot out of the water he prefers to not let himself get close to the Titans. He claims that it's because the Titans won't be able to do much of anything about the Mirror Monsters, but Takada and I think that it's really because he's afraid to face Raven again."

"I'm not surprised," Jinx nodded. "After you…left, Desmond went to fight Odyn and Raven begged him not to. He didn't listen and went anyway. I think he feels like he abandoned her or something."

"I think there's more to it than that. Remember Yui? Remember, she committed suicide right in the Tower while you were around. Maybe he doesn't want you all to remember the guilt."

Jinx took note of that. "But still…Yui's okay now, right? She's with her brother in the Mirror World."

"That much is true, but the Mirror World isn't peaceful anymore," Ryo told her.

"This sucks," she stated.

"Yeah, but it's not all bad. Takada found Blackfire, but he's trying to get their relationship back to where it was before he tries to get her to remember. She probably won't be too pleased to remember that he died on her."

"Invincible or not, pain still hurts," Jinx giggled before leaning against Ryo's chest. "So…is that all you wanted to come over for?"

"Unless you have something in mind," Ryo smiled.

"Good," Jinx smiled before pushing her boyfriend towards her bed. "Lay down and make like a pillow. I want to cuddle after how stressful today was."

* * *

Robin was walking along the hallway when he heard two voices coming from Jinx's room. At first he assumed it was Starfire or Raven but when he listened more carefully, he realized it was a male voice. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he pressed his ear against the door.

"Right now, Yui needs us to stop them, no matter what."

"Yui?" Robin murmured. Why did that name sound so familiar?

"Jinx, I have to go. Talk to you soon, OK?"

"OK, bye!"

Robin decided to see what was happening and quickly opened the door to see Jinx standing in the middle of her room, alone. "Robin!" she gasped, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard voices," Robin informed her.

"Oh, that was me. I was on the phone. I set it on speaker," she explained.

Robin's eyes narrowed, but since he had no proof to counter her claim he let it slide. "Alright, sorry to intrude."

The door closed and Jinx let out a breath of relief. She looked towards the full length mirror in her room and smiled. She blew the mirror a kiss and inside Ryo caught it.

* * *

Down in the garage, Cyborg whistled as he polished the hood of his T-Car. "Does my baby like that? Of course she does!"

He heard a laugh. "You know, you treat that car like it's alive."

Cyborg whirled around and saw someone he'd never seen before. Reacting on reflex, he activated his sonic cannon and aimed it at the intruder. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

"Hey, relax, Cy," the stranger said as he held his hands up in front of him. "Put down the cannon and all will be explained." He reached into his back pocket. Cyborg kept his cannon trained on the intruder. Slowly, the man withdrew what appeared to be a wallet-sized green case with a golden ox crest on it. "Recognize it?"

Cyborg searched his memory and both his eyes widened. One of the armored men had a green case in his belt buckled. "You're-"

"Call me Takada, or Zoldat. Take your pick," the stranger identified himself.

"You know, Robin wants to talk to you guys," Cyborg informed Takada.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does," Takada replied. "So, are you gonna keep aiming that cannon at me or…"

"Slide that thing over to me, and then let me call Robin."

Takada did as told and dropped his Advent Deck before kicking it over to Cyborg. It slid along the floor. Cyborg, still keeping his eyes on Takada, squatted down and picked it up. Takada grinned. '_Jackpot!_'

All of a sudden, the deck glowed green and the crest flashed gold. That was when Cyborg's eyes went wide in shock for a different reason. His grip on the Advent Deck loosened and he clutched his head. Takada prayed, hoping for a miracle. When Cyborg looked at him, Takada smiled, but then yelped when a beam flew past his head. "Hey!"

"That was for dying, you idiot!" Cyborg snapped angrily before breaking into a grin.

"Cy! You remember!" Takada's face broke into a grin too. The metal-man walked over and slapped him on the shoulder. In spite of his invulnerability that had hurt but Takada tried not to show it.

"Man, for a dead guy, you sure look good," Cyborg complimented.

"Well, you know. I eat right, work hard and play harder," Takada replied with a cheeky grin.

"Oh, hey, you dropped this," said Cyborg. He picked the Zoldat Advent Deck back up and returned it to its owner. "What the heck happened?"

"Alternate memory revival," Takada clarified. "Since you and I were close friends, my deck gave you your memories again."

"Man, that was a rush. It was like watching my life flash before my eyes, except at the same time it wasn't," Cyborg told him.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Takada knew the feeling. Seeing himself die had not been fun.

"So, are you…?" Cyborg began.

"Fit as a fiddle. I don't have cancer this time so no more pills, black outs or dizzy spells for me," Takada said confidently.

Cyborg's expression turned grim. "Robin's really out to get you guys. He thinks you guys are responsible for these monster attacks."

"Always ready to think the worst of people, isn't he?" commented Takada, grimacing at the thought of Robin on the warpath again. "Well, he wouldn't be Robin if he wasn't suspicious and paranoid, right?"

"Yeah. So, who else remembers?" Cyborg asked.

"Jinx," Takada answered. Cyborg had to admit that was a no-brainer. He could guess who got her to remember too.

"Hey, have you given it to Black-"

"No," Takada interrupted curtly. "I'm not ready and neither is she. I'm trying to rebuild my relationship with her and…" He fell silent. "Someone's coming."

"Take this," Cyborg handed Takada a spare communicator. "Give me a call if you need anything."

Takada pocketed the communicator before he walked directly into the reflective surface of the T-Car's hood, his entire body slipping right into the rippling metal.

Cyborg whistled. "Man. I have got to learn how they do that!"

No sooner were the words out of Cyborg's mouth did the door to the garage open and Robins stepped inside, "Hey Cyborg, you busy?"

"Not really," Cyborg shrugged, sweating slightly at the fact that Takada just had a near miss.

* * *

Leaping from a car window, Takada landed on what was quickly becoming his favorite street. Since he had his business out of the way and he hadn't seen his favorite girl in a while, he decided to go play Blackfire a visit. Maybe if he was lucky she'd be finished her shift soon and they could go out for a night on the town or something. As much fun as buying a lap dance or two was, he'd rather spend his money on buying her gifts or something.

"Hope there's not a line…up," Takada trailed off as he saw the entrance to Club Electra. The door was completely gone and a hole spanning ten feet tall and ten feet wide was in its place. The bouncer was nowhere in sight and the usual group of people trying to sneak inside were missing. "Now this does not look good."

Takada knew that Blackfire was still wanted in a galaxy or two for some stunts she pulled. Did one of those alien police officers manage to track her down or something? Law enforcement or not, they wouldn't be taking her!

He had his hand gripping his Advent Deck as he ran inside. What he spotted clearly wasn't a regular. He was ten-feet tall and looked like a robot on steroids judging by the bulky and muscular design of the body. It was definitely a guy in a suit since Takada had a full view of the face. The red robotic suit had a car motif as Takada spied exhaust pipes, a grill on the stomach, and 'A' on the chest like a hood ornament and wheels on the heels. Most of the patrons had left and those who stayed kept their distance from the disruptive patron. He was sitting near the stage, two girls in his lap with his arms around them. The girls didn't look comfortable but the man didn't care. He just hooted, hollered and whistles at the dancers on stage.

"Come on, babe! Take it off! Show Daddy Adonis what you got!" the robot-suited man demanded. "Yo, bartender! Gimme a beer!"

Takada was briefly reminded of a jock, of the football quarterback kind and the stereotypical, egotistical, and rude behavior often associated with them. He scowled. Clearly this Adonis was trouble and anyone who got in his way got hurt.

The Titans would no doubt be on their way if there was a disturbance but they weren't here yet so either no one made the call yet or no one did since they didn't want to get caught being in a strip joint on the evening news. He would have to take care of things by himself. Still, Adonis definitely looked tough and with those girls near him, picking a fight might be dangerous for them. As rational thought as it was, said thought left Takada's mind when Blackfire came out to dance and Adonis made a lecherous whistle before reaching to grab her.

Blackfire did not like being touched while on the job but this Earthling clearly didn't get the memo. He released the girls he was holding and held Blackfire to his chest. "Say, how about you and I get out of this joint and head to my place? Whaddya say?" He was being suggestive judging by the leer he was giving her and the way he licked his lips.

Blackfire blanched. His breathed reeked of alcohol. He definitely had some cheap beer before and didn't bother getting some mouthwash. She was tempted to blast him, but she was laying low and she didn't want to get the Titans on her case. Still, the way the guy was forcing himself on her clearly deserved severe punishment. Her self-control was waning fast and meeting up with her sister and her friends was sounding better than being in this slob's company.

Before she could let loose with her powers a beer bottle soared through the air and shattered against the back of Adonis' head. Everything and everyone turned silent and Adonis let go of Blackfire before he turned his furious gaze around, demanding, "WHO DID THAT!"

"Hey, over here!" Takada called, juggling a couple of bottles of beer in his hands. "Keep your metal mitts off my girl!"

Adonis roared, enraged that his fun had been interrupted and charged. Patrons and waitresses got out of his way, heading for any exit they could find. They knew that when a fight broke out involving a metahuman, things tended to break. Takada tossed the two bottles he was holding at Adonis, but they shattered harmlessly against him, unsurprisingly. As Adonis came close, Takada pulled out his Advent Deck and thrust it out, forming the belt around him from the green energy after it ran down his arm and wrapped around his waist.

"Henshin!" Takada called as he locked the deck into the hollow belt buckle. It then let loose a flash and when Adonis made a grab for Takada, he was repelled violently by a green sphere of energy that rose up around Takada. The twin horizontal energy rings also appeared, sweeping over his body in opposite directions. The rings and sphere dispelled themselves, leaving Zodiac Rider Zoldat fully armored.

Adonis, who'd been thrown threw the air by the sphere, groggily shook his head as he picked himself up. He then flinched as bullets bounced off his chest. Looking up, he saw Zoldat shooting at him. With a growl, a clear blue visor slid over his face to protect it as he stood at full height.

As Adonis charged at Zoldat, the Rider decided to switch weapons. He drew a card and put it inside the Magnu-Visor's tray before pushing it into the magazine chamber.

"_Shoot Vent!_"

The Giga Launcher bazooka appeared in his hand. He took aim and with a nod fired a shell that slammed into Adonis. It hit him directly in the chest and sent him flying straight into the wall. He smashed right through, making a new hole in Club Electra's wall right next to the entrance.

"Sorry!" the green Rider quickly apologized as he banished his weapon before he rushed out to battle against his opponent.

As Adonis got back his bearings, Zoldat spoke, "I don't appreciate guys like you touching my woman. So, I'm only going to say this once: pick yourself up, buzz off, or else!" That wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

"Nobody tells Adonis what to do!" the suit-wearing punk growled as he charged at the Zodiac Rider.

Zoldat rolled around one punch, shooting several more rounds into the Cadillac red paint job as he tried to lodge his bullets into the joints in Adonis' armor. The fight spilled into a construction site as Adonis continued trying to pound Zoldat while more rounds impacted against his hide.

"Don't you get it yet, dweeb?" Adonis snickered as more bullets impacted against his armor. "Nothing stops Adonis!"

"I heard Adonis could woo goddesses too, but you don't seem to have any luck with the ladies," Zoldat added.

"RAGH!" the enhanced teen roared, not taking the slight against his manliness very well in the least.

Grabbing an iron girder, Adonis swung wide and managed to impact against Zoldat's side, sending the green Rider sailing through the air and crashing into the manager's trailer, knocking it over on the side. The sight made Adonis smirk. That would show the dweeb who was the better man and…huh?

To Adonis' surprise, Zoldat emerged as if unscathed from the wreckage. It had hurt like crazy, but his Zodiac Power kicked in and made sure he took no damage from the attack, "Hope you've got better tricks than that you geek. I've dealt with insects more threatening!"

"I AM NOT A GEEK!" Adonis bellowed, charging in his alcohol induced rage at Zoldat again. The Rider didn't seem concerned as he drew a card and slid it into his Magnu-Visor.

"_Attack Vent!_"

From the reflective surfaces of sheet metal due to be installed soon, Magnugiga appeared and placed himself between Adonis and Zoldat. The red-clad villain bellowed like an angry bull and tackled into the green Mirror Monster with enough force to shatter walls. Thankfully, Magnugiga was made of tougher stuff than that. Raising his bazooka arm, he unleashed a round into Adonis' gut and sent the punk sailing, crashing into a pile of girders.

"Now, its high time I teach you a lesson in manners," Zoldat frowned as he drew another card. "But not only that, I'm also going to teach you NOT TO LAY A HAND ON MY WOMAN!" He slid his last card into the Visor, activating it.

"_Final Vent!_"

Magnugiga bellowed as he revealed his arsenal of cannons, missiles, lasers, and bullets. Zoldat merely waltzed up behind his partner and inserted his weapon into a connector in Magnugiga's back. Meanwhile Adonis was getting back up to his feet and rubbing his head before he saw the wall of artillery staring him down.

"Mommy!" Adonis squeaked.

BOOOOM!

* * *

The Titans were already on the move. Their computer had picked up a disturbance downtown and the team of heroes was already on its way. There were reports of Adonis but that wasn't unusual. What got Robin going was that one of those mirror-walking armored men had been sighted.

Cyborg grimaced. It was probably Takada/Zoldat. He knew these streets well. This was the way to Club Electra. If history was repeating itself, Blackfire was working there and he just hoped none of them saw her or else things were going to get even uglier.

The Titans arrived at the construction site and found a mess of destruction as a huge crater could be seen right in the middle of it. Inside the smoking crater which was edged by flames was Adonis and he had seen better days. His armor was a complete write off and the scrawny guy who wore it was unconscious as looking a little scorched.

Nearby, Zoldat sat on the only pile of undamaged steel beams and waved. "Yo! What took you so long? I hope you don't mind but I took out the trash for you." He twirled his gun around before locking it to his belt.

The Titans' reactions were various. Beast Boy gawked, Starfire was stunned, Raven's eyes narrowed, but both Jinx and Cyborg sighed. They knew only Zoldat could cause this much collateral damage without much effort.

Robin, however, was furious. The Riders' methods were violent, border-lining on lethal force. To use them on monsters was one thing but to use them on a human was just way over the top.

"Well, now that you all have things well in hand here, I've got to go!" Zoldat waved as he leaped backwards over the edge and vanishing from sight.

"Wait!" Robin cried, running around the beams only to find Zoldat nowhere in sight. There was just a puddle which was made from a water pipe bursting in the fight. Growling, Robin tried to look for a track or a trace, but found none. Turning to his team he spoke, "Let's get Adonis packed up. Then let's see if anyone else needs help."

* * *

Later…

"Dude, I've always wanted to come to one of these places," Beast Boy grinned as he tried to peek inside of what remained of Club Electra.

"Nu-uh," Cyborg sighed as he plucked his best friend away from the hole so he couldn't see the scantily-clad girls inside. "Your brain wouldn't be able to handle it. You aren't mature enough."

"I am so mature enough!" Beast Boy huffed.

"No way!" Cyborg insisted.

"Yes way!"

"Nope!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Oh yeah, real mature," Raven frowned, rolling her eyes at the antics of her two male teammates.

"So is anyone missing?" asked Robin of the bouncer who had managed to stay behind to see the action.

"Well, plenty," the man sighed. "When you see a guy in red armor who's ten feet tall you run. From what I saw most of the girls are gone. Shawna, Eve, Desiree, Blackfire**…**"

"Blackfire?" the Titans gasped, coming to a halt.

"Yeah, one of our biggest earners," the bouncer nodded. "Makes a killing on the stage but almost never gives a private show. She only ever gives them to her man Takada. Come to think of it though, seeing what he did tonight, I understand why."

"Who is this Takada?" asked Starfire, hoping to find some link to her sister since she may flee from this establishment now that the Titans had been there.

"The guy who fought that Adonis jerk," the bouncer answered. "The one in the green suit with the guns. I swear, despite the damage he did, he's getting free entrance and drinks for a year for helping out like he did."

Robin nodded, committing the name to memory.

* * *

Takada and Blackfire entered the apartment. "Man…" he groaned.

"Are you alright?" she asked. After he'd blasted Adonis out of the club, she'd followed. She remained airborne and spied the entire fight and was surprised to see the type of firepower Takada was packing. It seemed oddly familiar though.

"Yeah, the armor took most of the blows so I'm fine," he told her. "Are you okay? That guy didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Hey, I'm a big girl, Takada. I can take care of myself," she said sternly, poking his chest. She then placed a hand gently on it. "But thanks for caring." No one had ever genuinely cared for her before, except for maybe Starfire.

"Well, excuse me for a minute, babe, but I need to use the men's room," he told her as he removed his jacket and put it on the coat hanger. "Make yourself at home." He then headed to the bathroom.

Blackfire sat on the couch and as she was getting herself comfortable, she heard a gentle 'thunk'. Looking over the back of the sofa, she saw the green Advent Deck lying on the floor under the hanging jacket.

She'd witnessed him using it to summon his armor so curiosity took over. She hovered over to the Advent Deck. Looking down she saw the golden ox crest staring back at her. It was like the crest was calling out to her as it gleamed. She could not resist and reached down to it. Blackfire picked up the green Advent Deck, inspecting it curiously, before all of a sudden in flashed and she received a rapid flash of memories into her mind.

Blackfire gasped as she dropped the green Advent Deck just as Takada was returning from the bathroom.

"Blackfire?" Takada asked as he watched the exiled princess clench her eyes shut and try desperately not to start crying.

"…jerk," Blackfire whimpered almost silently.

"Bl-" Takada tried to get in a word edgewise, but was interrupted.

"YOU JERK!" Blackfire screamed, belting Takada in the jaw. The Ox Rider was sent sailing through the air and he crashed into the far wall, making a few cracks appear. Takada thanked his lucky stars his invulnerability was there. Oooh, he could see them now.

The stars were quickly brushed aside as an angry Blackfire hauled him up by his shirt. As angry as she looked though, tears were running down her cheeks, "How dare you keep something like cancer hidden from me! I thought we got past all those secrets!"

"I-!" Takada gulped, realizing that he had a pissed off Tamaranean on his hands. A woman who could turn an ordinary guy into pulp. He may be indestructible, but he could still feel pain!

"Shut up!" Blackfire frowned, setting him back down, but refusing to let go. "You don't know how much it hurt to find you dead. To hear that you were dying long before you met me. I…I thought we really had something." Her tears began to grow steadier. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…I…I was…afraid you'd leave," Takada guiltily admitted.

"Idiot," Blackfire murmured, resting her head against Takada's. "You made me cry. You owe me."

"That I do," Takada admitted, hugging the exiled princess closely as she sniffled into his shoulder. "How can I make it up to you?"

"I'll tell you," Blackfire sighed, regaining some mischief in her voice. "You're going to take me back to my apartment. There, I'm going to have a shower while you get naked and into my bed. After that, we're going to have sex until I see stars, got it?"

"Ma'am yes ma'am!" He then heard a familiar beeping noise and went to his jacket to withdraw the communicator, making Blackfire's eyes go wide.

"You have a Titans communicator!" she pointed accusingly.

"Blackfire, it's not what you think," he told her. "I paid Cy a visit earlier and got him to remember too. He gave it to me." He flipped it open and saw Cyborg's worried face on the screen. "What is it Cy?"

"_Robin knows your name, man! And he knows Blackfire's been working in Club Electra!_" Cyborg panicked. One could swear his spittle was flying through the communicator screen in his panic.

Blackfire began shaking as she overheard the words. She did not want to face the Titans. She did not want to go back to prison. The guards had done horrible things to her and with some being Gordanians; she couldn't overpower them as she could most other races. She could not go back there.

Suddenly, she was pulled into a comforting embrace as Takada gently ran a hand through her hair and kissed her temple. "I won't let them take you away," he promised. "I'll fight for you."

"_Uh…am I interrupting something?_" Cyborg asked, blinking from his end of the communicator.

"Kind of," Takada answered, his embrace never leaving Blackfire. "Okay, I'll see what I can do about it on my end. Maybe this will get Desmond off his butt so we can meet the rest of the Titans. See if you can stall Robin or something but don't go out of your way for it."

"_Roger,_" Cyborg nodded before the image blinked out.

Takada slipped the communicator into his pocket before turning to hug Blackfire, "You going to be okay?"

"Just hold me for a while," Blackfire mumbled into his shirt.

* * *

Adonis cursed his bad luck as he sat in his jail cell. There was only one bed, a sink and a toilet. He grumbled, "Stupid gun-toting dweeb." This time breaking out didn't seem like an option since his suit was totaled. Usually he could just hit the remote retrieval signal with just a phone call but with the suit destroyed it didn't seem he would be getting out anytime soon.

Growling, he walked over to the sink to wash his face. As he gazed up at the mirror, he jumped back when he saw a dark figure with bat-like ears and red eyes staring back at him. "What the he-!"

"_Hush, Mr. Adonis_," the figure in the mirror spoke, its voice suave and confident. "_We wouldn't want to wake up the guard now, would we?_" Adonis spied the guard outside his cell. He was fast asleep. Adonis shook his head. The strange being then continued. "_Tell me, Mr. Adonis. What is your star sign?_"

"Aries. I'm an Aries," Adonis answered, unsure why he was answering this being's question. It seemed like a stupid question to him. The figure nodded in the mirror as it brought a black case up for Adonis to see.

"_Here, take this. Consider it a gift_." A black rectangular case slid out of the mirror and dropped into the sink. Adonis reached down and picked it up before turning it over to see a golden rhino crest staring back at him. In the corners of the case were the symbols that represented his star sign. The case glowed and the rhino crest flashed gold.

"Hey, what the heck is this thing?" Adonis asked, looking up to the figure in the reflection.

"_New tools of your trade_," the black-figure explained. "_And this is way better than that robotic suit you wore before. This one has… special features_."

Adonis was about to ask more when the figure vanished from the mirror. He went to check the mirror but then his fingertips dipped inside the glass surface like it was water. He withdrew his hand in shock and checked it before checking the mirror again. This time his entire hand dipped right through. His face broke into a grin. He'd just gotten his ticket out of prison.

* * *

Kamen Rider Chrome: Looks like Cyborg and Blackfire finally remember! Wow, this looks good. Also, the Rhino Deck allows the user to become Zodiac Rider Metal, contracted to Metalgelas. This looks bad!


	4. SHARD 4: Avoiding Memories

SHARD 4: Avoiding Memories

The Brobajell zapped at Ryuuki who skilfully dodged the electrical bolts by leaping up as they struck the ground. Once he got in range, he slammed his fist against the electrical jellyfish monster's face. That was a gross miscalculation of tactics since he got zapped for his roubles and thrown back.

The Brobajell put its electrodes together before zapping Ryuuki. The Rider got electrocuted and cried out in pain as the charge continued. As he convulsed and grunted in pain, he drew a card and slid it into his Drag-Visor before closing it.

"_Attack Vent!"_

A loud roar was heard and the Brobajell was slammed in the side by Dragredder. The loyal red dragon continued to attack the monster as Ryuuki rose to his feet. After opening his Drag-Visor, he drew a card and fed it into the arm-mounted device before closing it.

"_Final Vent!"_

Ryuuki jumped into the air and performed a flying kick, launched by Dragredder's flames which served to boost the power of his attack. He collided with the Brobajell with explosive force, causing the monster to erupt into a ball of flames. An energy ball arose from the remains and floated into the sky before being consumed and absorbed by Dragredder.

* * *

Tara Markov whistled as she walked home from going shopping with her friends. Her life was good…or so she would like to believe.

She really missed Beast Boy. She hated what she had to do but all she really wanted was a normal life and being with the Titans was not something she wanted anymore. A peaceful and normal life was what she really wanted. No more fighting crime or battling villains. All she wanted to do was to be a normal teenager. She'd graduated high school and was planning on going to college, but would first take a one year trip all around the world.

Tara gazed down on the bracelet she wore. After her revival, she'd gone to someone who could help her block her powers. Her powers had brought her nothing but pain and had to be sealed. The bracelet was a power inhibitor and thus Terra the Titan had become Tara Markov. She managed to save up money for herself to get an apartment and worked part time to keep the money rolling. Also, her time with Slade had taught her how to hack into the student database and allowed her to enrol as a senior in Murakami High.

As she walked past a window, she didn't notice that she was being watched. The figure resembled an octopus-like humanoid that was biomechanical. All of a sudden, a tentacle shot out and wrapped around her.

Instantly, she shrieked as the tentacle began to drag her into the window. However, just as soon as the attack came, someone jumped in to save the day and sliced the tentacle in half. The remaining half that was not squirming on the sidewalk like a worm withdrew into the reflective surface.

Tara fell to her knees and then looked up. "Bat…man…?" she wondered as her eyes landed on the figure. He looked like Batman. He had pointy ears on his mask and a cape but he definitely wasn't Batman.

The 'batman' ignored her and turned his attention towards the window. He then jumped and was sucked in by a portal.

As scared as Tara was, she found the scene oddly…familiar.

Shaking her head, she got up to her feet and continued on her way home. She was not going to allow this to disrupt her normal life.

* * *

The Bakraken stumbled as it was hit with the Wing Lancer. It tried to parry with its trident but its defences were penetrated by Shadow who continued to attack without mercy. He had a lot of anger to release upon the monster due to something Takada had done. Takada had contacted Cyborg and now the cybernetic Titan had his memories restored. Not only him, but Blackfire too. They were getting too involved while Shadow preferred that they didn't. Despite Takada's argument that it would be beneficial to them since now Takada had a communicator, Desmond wasn't about to listen. However, there was little he could do but make sure the damage didn't spread further than it already had.

The Bakraken attacked with its tentacles, lashing them out at Shadow, but the Bat Rider drew his Dark-Visor and now armed with a sword and lance he batted them away. He then jumped and used a kick that sent the monster tumbling.

As Shadow prepared to finish the monster off with his Final Vent, he heard the announcement from another source.

"_Final Vent!_"

All of a sudden, a silver streak smashed right into the Bakraken like a missile and an explosion erupted. Shadow stood in place, waiting for whatever was going to walk out of the explosion.

He was not disappointed.

It was a Rider.

He was clad in a black bodysuit with silver-grey armor covering his body. The chest armor was bolted on and he had blocky shoulders with a curved spike jutting from the left one. His helmet had a bolted on visor with horizontal slit and a horn in the centre to mimic the appearance of a rhinoceros. Flaps of armor hung from his belt and the belt held the Rhino Advent Deck in the centre.

"Zodiac Rider…Metal," Shadow identified.

"So, looks like I found myself a dweeb. This is going to be fun," said Metal as he drew a card and tossed it up. It landed inside a slot built into his left shoulder armor and with his left hand he slid the panel over, closing it.

"_Strike Vent!_"

A gauntlet resembling the top half of a rhinoceros' head with the golden horn pointed forward equipped to his right forearm. Bellowing like the animal he was based on, the Rider identified as Metal charged at Shadow. While Metal had superior strength due to the source of his power, he did not possess any special skills beyond that. As he thrust at Shadow, the Bat Rider avoided the attack by sliding into a shadow portal under his feet. Metal stumbled and looked around. He should've looked behind him as Shadow arose from another shadow.

"Amateur," scoffed Shadow who then sent Metal staggering with a jab of his Wing Lancer's handle into the back of the head. Metal whirled around and struck. The weapons connected, causing sparks to spill onto the ground.

Shadow had expected this from the start. Yui had warned them that the dark force that had taken control of the Mirror World had also taken several of the Advent Decks. It seemed that the new enemy had already started selecting his Riders and distributing the decks. It was no different from Kenzaki but this time Shadow was ready.

Shadow kneed Metal in the stomach, causing the Rhino Rider to double over. "You wear the armor, but you're not a real Rider," scoffed Shadow.

"Oh yeah?" Metal sneered as he drew a card and tossed it into his Visor, activating it.

"_Attack Vent!_"

Metalgelas bellowed and stampeded towards Shadow, smashing through a brick wall in the process. Shadow was taken by surprise, not expecting the monster to appear like it had and took a spectacular hit. He was sent flying before tumbling along the ground. Metalgelas grunted as Metal got to his feet and stood next to his contract monster.

Metal rolled his shoulders. "Now, time to take you out, bat boy."

"_Attack Vent!_"

"Huh?" Metal was suddenly hit by a pink blur and fell to the ground. "Agh! What the-!"

"Nobody messes with my friends," a new Rider declared, appearing from the shadows. Like most of the Riders he wore a black bodysuit under his armor, which was a dark shade of pink. His helmet had a silver faceplate with wavy black slits over the visor and a stingray tail hanging from the back. The shoulders of his armor were also broad. On his left forearm was a shield resembling a stingray and in his right hand was a barbed whip that resembled a stingray's tail. The Advent Deck in his belt sported a stingray crest. He cracked the whip threateningly on the ground.

"Damn it!" Metal cursed. He was outnumbered. "Two on one? This isn't fair! I'm way out of here!" He could fight one Rider, sure, but wasn't ready to face two at once. He decided to retreat so he got on his heels and fled.

"We have to go after him!" Shadow insisted but was stopped when the pink Stingray Rider grabbed his shoulder. "Diver, let me go!"

"No, Desmond," said Diver. "Let's go. You're already starting to dissolve." He was right. Shadow looked at his hand and already particles were rising into the air. Shadow hissed but complied. "Come, let us go."

* * *

"Tazuka-niisan!" Ryo cried out as he hugged his surrogate brother. The fortune teller returned the hug too. Being brothers in all but blood, they were naturally close. It was an odd coincidence which allowed them to connect so closely in both this new life and the one before Kenzaki's resetting of the world.

"Hey, who's this?" Jinx asked. Both she and Ryo had been enjoying some quality cuddling on the couch when Desmond and the now identified Tazuka entered the apartment. The Bat Rider was in a sour mood as he ever was, but Ryo was overjoyed to see Tazuka again. Jinx knew who he was, Ryo having talked a lot about him before and after the reset. She just hadn't had the pleasure of meeting him since he was already dead in the last life.

"Tazuka Mizuki, Zodiac Rider Diver," Desmond answered. "He and Ryo here are like brothers. That still doesn't make much sense to me."

"It's not the length of time but the strength of bonds that creates brotherhood," quoted Tazuka. "Also, you did try to kill him. I was the only one who never attacked him."

Desmond cut in, "How's Swan?"

"Miho's doing fine," Tazuka answered. Ryo seemed uncomfortable at the mention of his ex. "She says 'hi'."

"Good to hear," Ryo nodded, despite some of the unease he was feeling at seeing Miho again. While they did part on good terms, it would still feel a little awkward to be working with her again, if only a little. He just hoped that with the new memories, Miho still wouldn't make things awkward or try to rekindle their relationship. He was very happy with the relationship that he had with Jinx.

"So just where is Takada?" asked Tazuka.

"With Blackfire...again," Desmond sighed in agitation. "Ever since she got her memories back, they can't seem to stay out of each others' pants or go two feet without sucking face."

Tazuka raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Desmond to be so hostile unless he had a personal stake in the situation. Even when it came to relationships he kept out like when Miho and Ryo were together during the Rider War. He only reminded them of their roles and that was it. Desmond hadn't been that different after the reset so just why was he so angry…unless… "It seems you are rather envious of the relationships both Takada and little brother have."

"Hardly," Desmond huffed.

"I'd like to see him try saying that with Raven in the room," Jinx commented from her seat.

"Raven?" asked Tazuka.

"Shut up!" Desmond snapped. "I'm going to get coffee! Don't wait up!"

He left the room and slammed the door.

Tazuka, deciding to make himself comfortable, spoke, "I didn't get your name."

"It's Jinx," Jinx said, smiling.

* * *

Desmond sat at a table at the café which had become his favourite. He had a book open and a cup of the steaming hot beverage on the table and a sandwich. He wasn't really hungry. He just needed a way to distract himself. He grumbled and slammed his book shut before grabbing the sandwich. The plan was definitely getting disrupted.

In the beginning, when they got their memories back from Yui, the girl in the Mirror World had told them of what was happening. Eight out of the 14 Advent Decks had been stolen by the enemy and now the enemy was starting to distribute the decks to create his own group of Riders. Desmond had the pleasure of meeting the first. There were seven more people out there, evil people, with the power of Zodiac Riders.

They had to be stopped, no matter what. With the ability to use reflective surfaces as portals they could do anything they wanted and flee without being caught.

Desmond had wanted to keep it all a secret from the public, making sure that it was a secret like the Rider War. However, there was no such luck. They'd made contact with the Titans and appeared in public. Now, Ryo and Takada wanted to ally themselves with the Titans. Desmond objected strongly to the idea.

He hated himself for being a coward. He wanted to see Raven again. He wanted to see if they could have a relationship. Sadly, in the previous life, he'd been so focused on his goals that he kept his feelings bottled up. He had started to love Raven just as much as he loved his sister, maybe even more.

Desmond took out his locket and opened it. He gazed at his sister's face. "Sister, what do I do? What should I do?"

The answer was obvious. He just wasn't seeing it yet.

* * *

There were still reports of disappearance but not as severe as the start. This was because some of the would-be victims had been saved by mysterious men in armor.

Robin decided to bring it up during a meeting. There was a picture of them on the screen, taken by a surveillance camera during the mall attack by the Sheerghosts. All the Titans but Jinx were present.

"These three men have something to do with the disappearances. Not only that they also possess the ability to walk into mirrors like those monsters we've been seeing," Robin said. "There's a connection. If only we can get one of them to talk."

"And how do you expect to do that, Robin? You looked like you were going to arrest them. If I were them I'd run too," stated Cyborg.

"Yeah, but they shouldn't have to if they didn't have anything to hide," replied Robin. "What do they have to hide anyway?"

Raven supplied, "We all have something to hide, Robin. You know that better than anyone."

Robin knew Raven was right. "Still, why won't they come forward with the information they have?"

Cyborg frowned. He knew why. If Robin ever got his memories back then he'd remember how Yui had committed suicide in the Tower when he was supposed to keep her safe. "Robin, these Riders must have a reason for doing this." He then got odd looks. "What?"

"Did you just call them Riders?" Raven asked.

Whoops!

Beast Boy spoke up, "Where did you get 'Riders'?"

"Well…" Cyborg tried to cover his slip. "Well, they look like knights and knights ride horses. Riders just sounded cooler. It was the first thing that popped in my head. It's better than just calling them 'them'."

Robin accepted the answer. He then continued, "Well, one of them has a connection with Blackfire. We got a name. He's called Takada. We find him and we find the others and Blackfire."

* * *

Jinx laughed as Tazuka recounted some tales from Ryo's days as a Rider during the Rider War. "No way! That really happened?"

"It's not funny," muttered Ryo, embarrassed.

Tazuka and Jinx were getting to know one another and began telling stories about what they knew about Ryo. Since Tazuka had known him longer, he had far more interesting stories to tell. One of which was the tale of how he had lost his wallet and didn't notice until he had to pay for a meal. The restaurant wasn't unsympathetic and made him wash dishes for the day. However, Desmond had found out and decided to be mean by ordering the messiest meal on the menu and made sure the dishes came back extra dirty. Ryo went home that night tired and slept all the daylight hours away the next day, missing his courses again.

Jinx just giggled at the story, having been reminded of the antics of two rival cartoon characters or something similar as Tazuka recounted tales of Ryo antics with Desmond somehow getting involved and antagonizing her boyfriend in the process. Each event was as amusing as the last and just as humiliating for Ryo as he recalled them. He got his payback though. He wasn't vindictive by nature, but even he could get pushed to the brink.

"You got even with him, didn't you Otouto?" asked Tazuka with a grin. "I don't think he ever forgave you for booby trapping his bed though."

"He had it coming," Ryo insisted. "He was a real jerk back then."

"That he was," Tazuka nodded before turning back to jinx. "Anyway, there was this one time he stepped on dog droppings,"

"NII-SAN!"

* * *

Blackfire heaved a sigh as she rested against Takada's chest after yet another romp between the sheets. Since reclaiming her memories, she was never far from her boyfriend. Seeing him die in her arms and then finding him again would be a big motivator to getting as much comfort time as physically possible. Not that all of their time was involved in sex. Blackfire also enjoyed just relaxing and cuddling together. Anything was good so long as he was there, although she certainly never complained if and when it came to the hot stuff.

Blackfire's time on Tamaran had been hard for her, having been born with black hair and purple eyes as opposed to the norm of red hair and green eyes. Being branded a black sheep at birth, everyone was suspicious of what she did and blamed her for anything that may have gone wrong. Neglect, anger, and emotional isolation had filled Blackfire with anger at everyone around her for their treatment of her so it was hardly surprising that she lived up to her black sheep reputation. Of course, most of her ire was sourced at her sister since Starfire had everything Blackfire had dearly wished for growing up; affection, acceptance, normal Tamaranean looks, and no one holding her under a microscope, just waiting for her to fail. While she knew in her mind that her little sister never bought into the stigma of her looks, Blackfire was too angry at the world to really care.

Coming back to Earth, she toyed with the idea of meeting up with her sister and seeing what would happen, but after being in that prison and what some of the guards considered…fun, she decided to try and play by the rules for a change. After getting her job at the club, Takada came into her life, well, he came into it a second time. A guy who respected her, was polite, played by all the rules, and never seemed to have anything bad to say about her. He knew all about her past and still stuck on her side because he wanted to be with her. He wanted her to stay. A great deal of hostility Blackfire harboured died a quick but gloriously painful death when she realized that fact.

All the suffering she'd endured in life had been nothing compared to losing him. She remembered how it'd happened. They'd been fighting the Mirror Monsters but then he suddenly collapsed. She had to find out from Cyborg what was wrong

She promised herself that this time she would not let him go.

And then the communicator beeped.

* * *

Metal dragged himself out of a car window in the junkyard before he dispelled his armor. He was revealed to be Adonis, but without his strength-enhancing robotic suit. All he had on was the red bodysuit he used as an interface for himself and the suit that made him the powerhouse he used to be.

Growing up, he'd been the runt of the family. In school he grew up bullied and humiliated by the more popular kids. However, he also grew up with skills and knowledge of advance robotics and decided to use his skills to lash out and make a name for himself as a supervillain. He was going to make them all pay. However, heroes like the Titans kept getting in his way. Now, he had nothing.

Well, almost nothing. Gripped in his hand was an Advent Deck and the power that came with it. He was much stronger now and had more powerful abilities. The Titans stood no chance. However, he had another obstacle. Those other Riders were going to be trouble.

He heard a ringing and turned to face the window to see his benefactor in the reflection. "_Why did you run?_" the dark figure asked.

"Hey, I was outnumbered!" Adonis let out, "And outmatched too. No way am I going to get myself taken out so early!"

"_So, you ran_," concluded the figure. "_Like a coward. A chicken_."

Memories of being called a chicken in his youth caused him to snap, "I am not a chicken!"

"_Then show me. Destroy them or else!_" the figure threatened. "_With your old suit you fought five Titans but when two Riders ganged up on you, you ran with your tail between your legs_."

"Hey, I knew about the Titans and what they could do! These guys you want me to take out are unknowns. I don't know anything about them!"

"_Yes, that would be bad for you. How about I give you a little help?_" Adonis heard a ringing and stepped back as a figure walked out of the reflection cast by the car's side mirror. "_Meet Zodiac Rider Ouja. Not only will he be your partner, but his knowledge will help you_."

Ouja hissed and rolled his neck. Adonis felt creeped out by this guy. The purple cobra-themed armor was intimidating. The torso resembled the hood of a cobra which folded over to trim the torso with sharp shoulders. Even the helmet was scary to look at since it had a fanged faceplate with a visor that had six dark slits. The helmet also had a cobra-hood incorporated into the design. "Just leave the dragon to me," hissed Ouja.

"Right, gotcha," Adonis agreed, nodding nervously as he started to sweat.

"_Now, you boys have fun. I have shopping to do_." And with that the figure vanished from the reflection.

Ouja hissed and in a completely random act of violence he kicked the car and sent it flying into a pile of garbage. Adonis gulped. Whoever this guy was he was not someone to piss off, in or out of armor.

"Alright, newbie. Tell me what we have to do," demanded Ouja.

"Well…" Adonis began. "I usually start by causing trouble. Break a few things, cause people to run in panic, and then the Titans come."

"Ah…the Titans," Ouja hissed in happiness, as if recalling an old friend that he was about to see. "It's time to say hello again to them."

* * *

Ryo felt a chill run up his spine. Something bad was about to happen.

"Ryo?" asked Jinx.

"A premonition," Tazuka frowned, his eyes narrowing as they flashed. "A bad one."

"Jinx, you better go," Ryo advised. "Something's about to go down in the city."

* * *

When the Titans arrived, they saw chaos. Police officers were sprawled on the ground. They were dead when Robin checked. He grimaced. This was beginning to remind him of what the city looked like during the more extreme cases of villains running unchecked. Events like Terra working for Slade or Trigon quickly came to mind. Those were memories he didn't want to revisit, ever. What was causing this? Was it another monster?

He got his answer when he saw who were in the middle of the chaos. They were as Cyborg called them, Riders. One wore armor styled after a purple cobra while the other was designed after a grey rhino. Both of them seemed to find all of the destruction and death amusing rather than horrifying like the Titans did. The callous disregard for the safety and lives of innocent people always served to make a few of their number begin to boil their blood.

"The Titans!" Metal cried, spotting the group of heroes.

"Good. Now, throw the bus at them," ordered Ouja, speaking casually as if he were talking about sending a letter.

Metal did as he was told, heading to a bus which had been knocked on its side. Gripping the edges, he lifted the machine up quite easily. The armor of the Zodiac Rider easily matching what his old suit could do. Taking the large machine, he hurled it at the direction of the Titans with a roar, privately hoping to crush at least one of them after the grief he suffered at their hands in the past. His aim was true as the bus sailed towards the group of five, but the Titans were very experienced with large heavy objects being thrown at them. Starfire and Cyborg quickly went into action and took the high and the low ends of the bus, catching it before setting it down. Only Beast Boy seemed to be the only one who flinched as the Titans stepped forward to face the pair.

"Who are you!" demanded Robin coldly.

"You can call us Zodiac Riders," answered Ouja as he hissed, rolling his head, "Or…your executioners."

The Titans prepared for a big fight, knowing that these villains weren't the kind they could take halfway measures with. They would have to bring down the hammer and hard. Before any fighting could be heard though, Ouja and Metal turned their gazes towards one of the storefront windows that they hadn't destroyed yet as if they were hearing something the Titans couldn't. To their surprise (save Cyborg) the window rippled before four pod-like vehicles shot out of the glass and came to a screeching stop. The vehicles then opened, revealing the forms of Ryuuki, Shadow, Zoldat, and Diver before they stepped out onto the street.

Ryuuki surveyed the carnage that the two Riders had unleashed, his head dipping down as he felt for all the lives which had been snuffed out by the pair.

"Put it out of your mind," Shadow advised, seeing his friend's reaction to the scene. "We can't save everyone."

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better." Ryuuki's eyes then settled on Ouja. "Asakura…" It was definitely him. It wasn't someone new using the armor. It was his nemesis. The posture and the attitude behind it were a dead ringer for the psychopath. Of all the people to choose for the cobra deck, why did they decide to use Asakura again?

"Ah, Little Dragon. It's been a long time," Ouja teased. "How's life?"

"It's going to be better after I destroy you!" Ryuuki declared. "My blade of justice will make sure of that!"

"Hmph! Blade of justice? Haven't you gotten tired of saying that? It's sickening."

"Hey, let's stop talking and start fighting!" said Zoldat impatiently, gripping his Magnu Visor.

"I've got a bone to pick with you dweeb," Metal sneered at Zoldat, gripping his fists in anticipation.

"According to my predictions, we will win," said Diver as he flipped his coin.

"That's all I needed to hear," Shadow nodded as he pointed his sword at the two. "Mina, Ikuzo!"

The four Riders then charged at their two evil counterparts.

* * *

"Dude?" asked Beast Boy, watching the six Riders begin fighting. "Does anyone else feel totally blown off right now?"

"It appears that the colourful fighters are split between two rival factions," Starfire observed.

"Then we know which ones we're fighting anyway," Cyborg frowned, getting his sonic cannon ready.

"For now anyway," Raven muttered.

"This is our city and we're not going to just stand by while they destroy it even more," Robin frowned. "Titans! Go!"

Jinx arrived at the scene just as she heard Robin yell out the battle cry. She spotted the Riders fighting and saw Ryuuki and Diver going up against Ouja while Shadow and Zoldat fought against Metal. She flicked her wrist and narrowed her eyes. "It's time to go to work!" She then ran to join her team.

"_Sword Vent!"_

"_Sword Vent!"_

The Veno Sabre and Drag Sabre clashed as soon as they were summoned. Ryuuki glared at Ouja who hissed in return. They then started to slash at each other, sparks flying as their swords connected, the edges crashing against each other. Diver jumped in and kicked Ouja in the side. The Cobra Rider staggered but recovered quickly to parry a slash from Ryuuki and when Diver tried to attack again, Ouja kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Nii-san!" Ryuuki cried out. Ouja took advantage of the distraction and slashed Ryuuki across the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Weak as always," taunted Ouja before he was suddenly hit by green starbolts and pink hex waves. "Hey!"

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven picked up some debris and tossed them at Ouja.

"_Strike Vent!"_

"_Sword Vent!"_

"_Guard Vent!"_

Meanwhile, Shadow and Zoldat were dealing with Metal. The Rhino Rider had summoned his Metal Horn gauntlet while the Bat and Ox Riders summoned a lance and shield respectively. Zoldat was using the Giga Armor shield to block Metal's attacks while at the same time shooting at the heavily armoured Rider with his Magnu-Visor. Shadow attacked in close-quarters, swinging and stabbing with his Wing Lancer. Metal just laughed as he sent Shadow staggering with his Metal Horn and sent Zoldat tumbling with a straight punch into his shield.

"Hah! You can't stop the Metal!" Metal boasted as he flexed his muscles, only to be sent skidding backwards by a sonic blast from Cyborg's cannon. Robin leapt in with his bo staff and starting jabbing it at Metal.

A loud roar was heard and Beast Boy in his T-Rex form charged at Metal, maw wide open. He grabbed the Rhino Rider in his teeth, hard.

Robin cast a look towards Shadow and the Bat Rider gazed back at the Boy Wonder. While the dark look they tossed at each other was only for a second, it felt like almost an eternity to the two in question. Their attitudes, while similar in many ways, clashed against each other notoriously. Both knew that words were going to be exchanged after the fight was over. However, one of the two was going to try and avoid some of it if he could.

Ouja hissed as he glared at the two Riders and the girls. He took out his Veno-Visor and a card before sliding it in.

"_Attack Vent!_"

Venosnaker leapt out from a nearby window from a lunged at Starfire who shrieked in shock.

"Starfire!" Robin cried out. Shadow responded quickly as well.

"_Attack Vent!_"

Darkwing swooped in and slammed the giant cobra away.

Beast Boy had just dropped Metal who was starting to get back to his feet. "You've been owned!" Beast Boy taunted. Although, his teeth were throbbing from chomping down on the evil Rider in his T-Rex form. Whatever that guy was using for armor was tough!

"No, _I_ own _you_!" sneered Metal as he activated his card.

"_Attack Vent!_"

Metalgelas charged out of a nearby window with a loud roar. The Mirror Monster bellowed as it charged straight towards Beast Boy with its horn, ready to pierce him. The oncoming charge was interrupted when Cyborg interrupted by grabbing Metalgelas by his primary weapon and pushing him off course, running into a brick wall. Beast Boy had turned white as a sheet when he was caught by surprise while Cyborg turned to him, "Be careful next time, BB!"

Ryuuki drew a card and prepared to activate it but Metal saw him. The Rhino Rider also drew a card and tossed it into his Visor, just as Ryuuki was activating his own card.

"_Strike Vent!_"

"_Confine Vent!_"

The Drag Claw was flying towards Ryuuki but at the last second it vanished.

"_Steal Vent!_"

Ouja's own card allowed him to steal the Wing Lancer out of Shadow's hands. The purple Rider laughed before he charged at the bat Rider, slashing him across the chest several times before kicking him away, letting Shadow land several feet away with a groan. He had forgotten just how tough Asakura was in person rather than just in memory.

"Desmond!" Ryuuki cried, running over to his friend. "Daijoubu?"

"I'm fine," Shadow grunted as he got to his feet. "It's time we stop fooling around!" Reaching to his deck, he drew his Survive Shippu, allowing the wind to pick up around them.

"Hai!" Ryuuki nodded, drawing Survive Rekka, bringing raging flames to the scene as they whirled around them.

Shadow's sword transformed into a bat-like shield with a short sword sheathed in it. Ryuuki's armguard transformed into a dragon-like gun. Taking Survive Shippu, Shadow inserted it into the base of his shield before drawing his sword. Ryuuki opened the mouth of his dragon gun, inserting his Survive Rekka into a chamber inside of it before snapping it shut.

"_Survive!_"

Wind and flames engulfed Shadow and Ryuuki respectively, changing them into their Survive Modes. Now clad in more powerful armor and armed with more powerful weapons and cards, Ouja and Metal didn't stand a chance. Normally they wouldn't go to such extremes, but Asakura was a powerful Rider and Metal was no pushover even if it was someone new wearing the suit. The contract with Metalgelas afforded him super strength and made him that much tougher to take down.

"Now it's getting interesting," Ouja nodded as he began to advance. However, he was interrupted when several starbolts blew up the ground in front of him. Growling, he spotted Starfire glaring at him with her eyes alight with emerald energy. Frowning, he drew a card as he glared at her, "You're beginning to annoy me."

"_Final Vent!_"

Venosnaker heeded the call and slithered towards its contractor with murder in its eyes. Ouja leapt back and flipped through the air before being propelled by Venosnaker's venom. Starfire gasped when she saw the upcoming attack, charging starbolts to use. Ryuuki, who saw this, acted quickly as he loaded a card into his Drag-Visor Ziwei. "Not this time!"

"_Guard Vent!_"

Dragredder flew onto the scene and roared before transforming into Dragranzer. It then flew around Starfire, becoming a barricade as it smacked Ouja away. The cobra Rider landed on the ground with a grunt before picking himself up. Looking forward, he saw Ryuuki advancing on him with his weapon at the ready. The blade on the Drag-Visor Ziwei folded out like a pocket knife and extended.

"You and me, Asakura! One on one!" challenged Ryuuki.

"Well, with an invitation like that, how can I refuse?" Ouja sneered before charging at the dragon Rider.

Ouja bellowed a battle cry before charging a Ryuuki began his own charge. However, before the two sides could clash again, the battle was interrupted by the appearance of Gazelle monsters. Gigazelle, Omegazelle, Negazelle, Megazelle, all of them were leaping and pouring out of windows and glass, causing chaos. The Titans and good Riders were forcibly pushed away from the pair of evil Riders. Ouja snorted as he watched Ryuuki get pushed and punched away by the mass of Gazelles.

"Another time then Little Dragon!" Ouja shouted before he dove into a nearby car window.

"Later dweebs!" Metal called, following his ally. With the evil Riders gone, the Mirror Monsters began fleeing back to their home through every reflective surface that could find, soon leaving only the Titans and four Riders alone in the street.

"Damn it!" Shadow cursed as he drew his short sword out from his arm-mounted shield. The sword's blade then extended to full length. As several of the Zelles leapt at him, they were knocked down with a horizontal slash.

Ryuuki ducked under a Zelle's attack before kicking it backwards. He then backhanded another Zelle before sending one flying with a sidekick and then using an uppercut to send another sprawling.

"_Swing Vent!_"

Diver summoned his weapon, the Evil Whip and cracked it to the ground before lashing it out at the Zelles.

"_Shoot Vent!_"

The shoulder-mounted Giga Cannons appeared on Zoldat and he unleashed their ammo upon the Zelles.

Shadow, meanwhile, opened up a slot in his sword's cross-guard before sliding in a card and closing it. Ryuuki's own dragon-like gun had a chamber on the back and he loaded a card too before closing the chamber.

"_Blast Vent!_"

"_Shoot Vent!_"

Shadow's contracted Mirror Monster, Darkwing, transformed into its Survive Mode counterpart Darkraider. The wheels in its wings spun like turbines, conjuring powerful gale-force winds that sent the Zelles flying. Ryuuki's Dragranzer got behind him and as the Drag-Visor Ziwei fired a homing laser, Dragranzer's chest expanded as it took in a deep breath of air before unleashing a fireball that destroyed several of the Zelles.

The Titans were handling well against the Zelles as well. Beast Boy was in the form of a kangaroo and using a combination of boxing moves, kicks and tail swings to fight against the monsters. Jinx used her gymnastics and acrobatics to match the Zelles' own jumping ability before launching her hexes at them. They succumbed to the bad luck as a nearby car exploded and sent them sprawling. Robin was using his explosive disks on them as he threw them like shurikens at the Zelles. The ones that got too close met the business ends of his bo staff. Raven was using her telekinesis to levitate them before sending them flying and crashing violently against their kin. Starfire was using her starbolts and eyebeams. Finally, Cyborg was busting skulls as he grabbed them by the heads and bashing them together.

"We're wasting time here!" Shadow called. "Everyone, except Zoldat, use your Final Vents!" He drew his card which resembled his regular Final Vent, save for the extra wings that extended from the emblem inside. Ryuuki's Final Vent also sported the same wings flanking his crest. Diver's Final Vent sported his stingray crest.

The three Riders loaded their cards into their respective Visors before closing them.

"_Final Vent!_"

Darkraider screeched as it swooped down. Shadow stood up straight, sheathing his sword, before jumping onto Darkraider's back. The upgraded Mirror Monster then flew along the ground before it began to transformed. Shadow raised his body, straightening it up horizontally as Darkraider's body twisted so that one of its wings pointed backwards while the other pointed forwards. The wheels in the wings touched the ground as Shadow took his seat. Darkraider was now a motorcycle which was racing towards its targets. Darkraider fired a laser beam which paralysed the Zelles. The split-cape on Shadow's back then spread out like bat wings before wrapping around him and Darkraider. A surge of energy behind the make-shift rocket propelled both Rider and monster into a part the herd, destroying some of the Zelles in a single blow.

Dragranzer roared as Ryuuki leapt up and landed on its back. Like Darkraider, the mighty dragon was also performing a change. A wheel folded out from the chest of the dragon as its visor slid over its eyes. The wheel was clutched between Dragranzer claws. Dragranzer's long body then folded in, shortening its form. The back wheel touched the ground and the front wheel landed. Seeing the Zelles in his sights, Ryuuki and Dragranzer performed a wheelie. Dragranzer spewed fireballs at and around the Zelles, cutting off their escape route before the bike that was also a dragon rammed straight into them, causing an explosion.

Evildiver appeared and Diver leapt on top of it like a surfboard. The two then crashed into several Zelles and the monsters exploded from the impact.

Ryuuki and Shadow stopped their bikes and then faced each other before turning to face the gawking Titans. They'd never expected such power and were stunned. Shadow sighed and prepared to leave when he felt Diver's hand on his shoulder.

"The time for running is over," Diver said. "To combat this threat we need all the help we can get."

Shadow frowned but he reluctantly agreed as he and Ryuuki dismounted from their monsters. He then dispelled his armor as a vertical ring of blue energy surrounded him. Ryuuki, Diver and Zoldat did the same as rings of energy in their own colours appeared. The Titans tensed up for what was happening.

When the rings split the armor apart, what they left were four normal-looking young men of Asian descent. The Titans who didn't know/remember the Riders were stunned to see that the men seemed so normal outside of their suits of armor. It wasn't what they expected.

Desmond inhaled, eyes closed, before he exhaled as his eyes opened. Tazuka, Takada and Ryo looked at him expectantly. The Bat Rider focused his intense gaze upon Robin and said, "Alright, let's talk."

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl was sitting atop one of the city's tallest buildings. She whistled a familiar tune as she sat at the edge, swinging her legs as she ran a hand through her hair. She bounced a wallet-sized case and caught it in her hand. The surface of the case was decorated by a case resembling a dragon, except it was black and sinister.

"A new Rider War begins. Wonder how this one will end?" She smirked before she hopped to her feet. "This time things are gonna be different. Don't you agree, dear brother?" She let loose a laugh before she spun around and strode off.

* * *

Kamen Rider Chrome: So, here's the start of the confrontation.


End file.
